Hiren Pandit

Bangladesh has achieved unprecedented success in the development of communication and infrastructure. Along with the unparalleled growth of the road transport system, the present government is considering the issue of strengthening the safe road system as important. The government aims to establish a modern, technologically advanced, sustainable, safe highway network. Automatic Motor Vehicle Fitness Center has been launched to ensure road safety. Almost all BRTA services have been digitized with the introduction of e-driving licenses, and 6-point guidelines are being implemented to ensure road safety. The Bangladesh Road Safety Project is being implemented with the financial assistance of the World Bank and the financing of the government of Bangladesh of five thousand crores.
The improved transport system is also an indicator of economic progress. So increase initiatives to create efficient drivers; Fixation of salary and working hours of drivers; Capacity building of BRTA; Ensuring unhindered enforcement of traffic laws to transport operators, passengers and pedestrians; Regulation of low-speed vehicles on highways and construction of separate service roads for them; Phased construction of road dividers on all highways; Stop extortion in public transport; Relieving pressure on roads by renovating and expanding railways and waterways; Formulation and implementation of sustainable transport strategies.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, after returning to his homeland on January 10, 1972, repaired all the damaged roads and bridges and restored the communication infrastructure. Reconstruction of infrastructure was an urgent and challenging task. But Bangabandhu's government reconstructed roads, damaged bridges, damaged railways, electricity systems, telephone systems, and ports, and these were primarily completed in the latter half of 1972. After independence in 1972, Bangabandhu announced the construction of a bridge over the Jamuna River. During his visit to Japan in October 1973, he sought the help of the Japanese government to build a bridge over the river Jamuna.
After the Awami League government took over in 1996, the Bangabandhu Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge was completed, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the bridge on June 23, 1998. In 1974, he rebuilt all the bridges destroyed in the liberation war and made them usable; besides, he built 490 km of new roads were built. In the first five-year plan of the Bangladesh government, the nation's father prioritized the road transport sector and started building a modern road network. Following the footsteps of the father of the country, the current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government is working towards the implementation of the three five-year plans, the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the Vision Plan 2041, for the expansion of seamless and time-saving transportation and goods transportation through the development of safe road networks.
Bangladesh is one of the top countries in the world in terms of economic progress. Inauguration of Metrorail and Padma Bridge are both development milestones. Successfully combating the pandemic, education, communication infrastructure, gas, electricity, women's education, 100% increase in salary and allowances of employees, health care, distribution of free books, achieving self-sufficiency in food production, under social programs backward communities, destitute, elderly, widows, disabled persons, assistance to abused and divorced women, autism, assisting destitute freedom fighters, shelter scheme, Aam Bari Aam Khar scheme, women empowerment, the government led by the Prime Minister has played a significant role in the overall development of various sectors.

The role of electricity in the development of a country is undeniable. When the World Bank canceled the allocation from the Padma Bridge, the Awami League government took it as a challenge. The government took the initiative to build the bridge with its funding. The existence of the bridge is vital to all of us now.

This bridge is changing our economy. Over the past few years, the Awami League government has vowed to build infrastructure. Flyovers, underpasses, and metro rails, etc., have been constructed. The long-cherished Metrorail runs from Uttara to Motijhil. Now, a popular mode of transportation is the Metrorail. Elevated Expressway, Padma Bridge Rail, Karnaphuli Tunnel, and Matarbari Power Station were inaugurated. So far, about 35 lakh people of 8 lakh 86 thousand 617 families have been rehabilitated. One crore 22 lakh 55 thousand 959 persons are working abroad as migrant workers.

In the last 15 years, the country has reached a new height of socio-economic development. These achievements have been possible because the Awami League government has consistently run the government. Working determined to make Bangladesh a developed, smart Bangladesh by 2041. For this, the vision plan 2041 has been formulated, and the implementation has started. During the current government, there has been a revolutionary change in the communication infrastructure sector. The most enormous Payra Bridge in the southern region was inaugurated in October last year. Last November, 200 bridges in 25 country districts were opened for traffic. Many highways in the country have been upgraded to four or more lanes. Others are in progress.

Satellite Bangabandhu-1 has been launched as the 57th country in the world, and work is underway on the Satellite Bangabandhu-2. Delta Plan-2100 has been formulated to protect our generations from the impact of climate change and build a better future. On December 21, 2023, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated 100 national, regional, and district highways in 50 country districts through a video conference from the Prime Minister's office. The total length of these highways is about 2 thousand 21 kilometers. Of 2021 km of highways, 206.54 km are national highways, 621.68 km are regional highways, and 1193.34 km are district highways. The total expenditure for constructing these highways is about 14 thousand 915 crores.

In Bangladesh's continuous development journey, more milestone achievements have been added to surprise the world. 25 June 2022, Padma Bridge was inaugurated. The construction process of Padma Bridge, built with the latest technology and materials in the world, has been completed, maintaining the highest standards. Padma Bridge's pile or foundation is the deepest in the world. The piles of this bridge have been placed up to a maximum depth of 122 meters. State-of-the-art technology has been used considering earthquake resistance. To reduce road accidents and economic losses, the related organizations of the United Nations are making every effort with the public and private institutions of almost every member country.

Notable among them is to take necessary actions and support the implementation of activities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to reduce the number of deaths and injuries in global road accidents by 50 percent by 2030 and the “Global Plan for Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030”. ” to ensure that adequate procedures are identified and supported in their implementation, etc. The hope is that Bangladesh has expressed solidarity with these global steps to reduce road accidents. The necessary activities are also being implemented after determining the appropriate course of action. Many highways in the country have been upgraded to four or more lanes. Others are in progress. The Chattogram tunnel under the Karnaphuli River and a part of the Airport-Qutubkhali Expressway have been opened.

The remaining part will be opened for vehicular traffic very soon. Apart from this, most of the other mega projects of the current government, including Karnaphuli Tunnel, Dhaka Elevated Expressway, and Dhaka-Cox's Bazar railway construction, were inaugurated.
With political wisdom, leadership skills, confidence in managing the team and country, skill and honesty, courage and foresight, in just 15 years, he brought the country from 40 percent electricity to 100 percent electricity. Where there were 5.6 lakh internet users, the number of internet users in the country is 13.6 million, and the number of mobile connections is over 18.81 million. The whole world looks at Bangladesh in surprise. More than 16,000 entrepreneurs are working in about 8,800 digital centers across the country to deliver services to people's doorsteps, where 50 percent are women entrepreneurs.
As a result of this, on the one hand, the disparity between men and women, on the other hand, the discrepancy between the rich and the poor, and the disparity between rural and urban areas has been removed. Digital Center has changed the outlook and simplified the standard of living of the ordinary people. By including this in our election manifesto 2018, we have pledged to extend modern urban facilities to every village, keeping the theme of 'My Village, My Town' in front. Today, paved roads have been constructed in almost all the country's villages. From 2009 to 2022, 66 thousand 755 km of road development, 3 lakh 94 thousand bridge-culverts, 1 thousand 767 Union parishad complex buildings, 1 thousand 25 cyclone shelters, and 326 upazila complex buildings have been constructed and expanded in rural areas.
Between 2009 and 2021, 458 km of national highways were upgraded to four or more lanes. Upgrading another 887 km of roads to four or more lanes has been completed. Currently, 37 projects are underway for 13 thousand 371 crores 45 lakhs to develop Bangladesh Railway as a modern and modern public transport. Survey work is being done to establish a circular rail line around Dhaka. From 2009 to 2022, 451 km of new railways have been constructed and 1,181 km of railways have been rehabilitated. 428 new railway bridges have been built. The 4.8 km long Bangabandhu Railway Bridge construction over the Jamuna River is progressing rapidly. Bangladesh Biman Airlines has added 12 new state-of-the-art Boeing and Dreamliner aircraft to its fleet and added three Dash-8-400 aircraft.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina participated in the inauguration of 9,995 completed infrastructure works and the installation of 46 infrastructures under 157 development projects across the country, including the Sheikh Hasina Sarni (Purbachal Expressway) named after her in the capital and Chattogram's first elevated expressway. Construction of 4,644 different development infrastructures and 8,86,397 houses under the shelter scheme for the landless and homeless have been completed at a cost of Tk 1 lakh crore under 24 ministries and departments across the country. A 'significant transformation' has occurred in Dhaka, where new flyovers, bridges, and various commercial establishments were constructed.
Construction of double lines, construction of the largest airport of international standards at Cox's Bazar, and installation of broadband internet lines across the country. These mega projects are not only accepted and inaugurated, which was once a tradition in our decade. The mega projects undertaken to construct these long-term infrastructures are progressing simultaneously rapidly. Several mega projects have been completed and commissioned. Bangladesh has successfully implemented several long-term infrastructure mega projects and is nearing completion. People have started getting huge benefits from those which have already been launched. The progress of the rest is visible and will be launched very soon, so people will begin benefiting from it, too.