Arafat Hasan of DOT
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Bangladesh have signed agreements for $200 million in loans in order to improve the rural road network in Bangladesh, reports The Daily Star.
Monowar Ahmed, secretary to the Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Manmohan Parkash, country director of ADB, signed the agreements yesterday on behalf of Bangladesh and ADB respectively at a ceremony in the capital, reports The Daily Star.
The assistance will support the government’s Rural Connectivity Improvement Project (RCIP) to upgrade about 1,700 kilometres of rural roads to all-weather standards in 34 districts located in five divisions.
The total cost of the project, which is due for completion in November 2023, is $285.31 million.
ADB will provide a concessional loan of $100 million and a regular loan of $100 million. The government will provide the remaining $85.31 million.
The roads will reportedly be designed with safety features, including signage, guard posts, and speed breakers.They will also adopt climate resilient designs incorporating features such as elevated paving, drainage, road foundations, and earthworks to significantly reduce maintenance.
The project will also prioritize repairing roads damaged by flashfloods in 2017.