WHILE the cost of road construction in Bangladesh is highest in the world, the quality of the roads is quite poor. According to the experts it has happened due to lack of proper monitoring by the authorities concerned and non-accountability of construction firms. They also mentioned good road design, its proper implementation, use of quality materials, load management, strong monitoring and timely implementation of the projects are crucial to ensure quality road construction at reasonable costs. In a report on June 20 last, the World Bank presented a list of infrastructure costs, especially in road construction. It shows the cost of per kilometer road construction is $2.5 million to $11.9 million in Bangladesh, which is the highest in the world.
BUET’s Civil Engineering Department Professor Shamsul Haque said that most construction firms having political link and influence rarely ensure quality road construction for lack of proper monitoring by the government authorities concerned. “Government engineers must be present to ensure quality during the construction work on roads, but they remain absent in most cases.” Besides, he said, the roads are not properly maintained after construction. He also blamed the authorities concerned as they wait to repair the road until the most parts of the road get damaged. Roads must be fixed immediately even if a small hole is created, otherwise it increases the maintenance cost.
Prof Haque also said roads will have to be kept free from rainwater stagnation as water is the biggest enemy to bitumen. He also emphasized on the construction of the roads and highways with good designs so that rainwater can easily and swiftly pass through those. The renowned engineer also mentioned that the road foundation should be much stronger for its sustainability and thinks that the road construction cost will come down if the projects are implemented timely without extending their deadlines.
BUET’s Urban and Regional Planning Department Professor Sarwar Jahan said though the construction cost has marked a sharp rise over the years, the quality declined as roads are not designed properly considering the increased flow of traffic, mainly heavy vehicles and their load. Over 2,000km roads are needed to repair every year in our country only because of overloaded vehicles.
Ex-UGC Chairman and Urban planning expert Prof Nazrul Islam said inefficiency in construction, corruption, and lack of accountability and monitoring are the major reasons behind the exorbitant cost of road construction and poor quality work. He said the government can form a separate body or committee involving experts from BUET and officials from the Anti-Corruption Commission to monitor road construction work.
At the top of all, politico-bureaucratic corruption in endemic degree is the root cause of pushing up the cost of all construction projects. Road construction is perhaps, at the top at corruption index. Government must listen to these experts if they are to improve the conditions of our roads and highways across the country.
