Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh has taken a major step towards improving regional connectivity by issuing a tender for the upgrade of a crucial two-way road linking the Sheola Land Port in the east of the country to India’s northeastern states.
The proposed project aims to transform the 43-km stretch between Sylhet and Sheola into a four-lane dual carriageway, which is expected to enhance trade relations and facilitate the export of ready-made garments (RMG), Bangladesh’s primary export.
Project Director Khan Md Kamrul Ahsan announced on Thursday that the road improvements will include extensive renovations, such as upgraded pavements and additional service roads.
The dual carriageway is set to be completed by mid-2028, assuming physical work begins by mid-next year after the tender process is finalised.
The total estimated cost of this significant infrastructure upgrade is Taka 4,257 crore, with the World Bank contributing Taka 2,886.82 crore and the Bangladeshi government financing Taka 1,370.25 crore.
This expansion is expected to boost cross-border trade, particularly in RMG, creating new export opportunities to India’s seven northeastern states.
The Sylhet-Sheola highway is a vital section of the Bangladesh-China, India, and Myanmar (BCIM) corridor, which connects approximately 440 million people in the region through a network of road, rail, and air transport.
The road improvement initiative is part of the World Bank-financed Accelerating Transport and Trade Connectivity in Eastern South Asia Project (ACCESS), aimed at improving the efficiency and resilience of trade in the region.
Alongside the Sylhet-Sheola project, Bangladesh is also upgrading the Dhaka-Sylhet-Tamabil highway into a dual-lane road, further strengthening connectivity with India’s Meghalaya and reinforcing the nation’s commitment to facilitating trade.
The Sheola-Sutarkandi land trade route, one of 16 operational land ports in Bangladesh, has experienced significant growth in trade volume, particularly in the export of RMG.
In the 2023-24 fiscal year, the Sheola Land Port facilitated over 9.56 lakh tonnes of imports and over 7,200 tonnes of exports. Sutarkandi Land Port, its counterpart, recorded trade worth Taka 353 crore in the same period, a substantial increase from Taka 162 crore in 2017-18.
The expansion of the Sylhet-Sheola highway is expected to improve trade logistics and road safety, reducing traffic accidents due to the current poor conditions of the existing two-lane road.
As Bangladesh strengthens its cross-border connections, the RMG sector is set to benefit greatly from this infrastructure development.
