‘Shift 20pc of transport to rail to reduce highway pressure’

Staff reporter :

Railways, road transport, and bridges adviser Md Fouzul Kabir Khan has urged that at least 20 percent of the country’s passenger and cargo traffic be shifted to rail and waterways to ease the burden on national highways.

“Expanding roads from eight lanes to ten alone will not solve traffic congestion,” he said during a discussion with officials from the Roads and Highways Department and Bangladesh Railway in Chattogram on Friday.

Fouzul criticised “custom-made” roads from the Awami League era, pointing to the Itna-Mithamoin road as a costly project that harmed the environment and local resources. He stressed that future roads must have clear economic and social benefits. He also highlighted underused, expensive projects like the Matarbari road and urged minimising delays in land acquisition while prioritising affordable, high-impact infrastructure.

Noting limited resources, Fouzul emphasized careful planning, saying the same investment could alternatively fund a hospital or a road, making thorough project impact analysis essential.