Published: 09:30 AM, 21 May 2026
China to support construction of river-compatible smart bridges in Bangladesh
Most rivers in Bangladesh are currently undergoing two major types of impairments—internal and trans-boundary. Internal impairments include the construction of roads, earthen embankments, bridges, sluice gates, water control structures, and many other physical barriers across river courses. Filling riverbanks with soil for road connections, constructing massive concrete bridges, land development for new housing projects, establishment of mills and factories along riverbanks, and sporadic extraction of sand and soil from river beds during the dry season are causing a significant decline in the active role of the country’s river systems.
Although the majority of road users acknowledge the crucial role of rivers in the nation’s development process, the use of rivers for transportation, irrigation, and other essential purposes is gradually declining due to the water crisis during the dry season. To protect the river system, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) have undertaken various initiatives and conducted strict drives to control the construction of low-height and closely spaced pier-system bridges over major rivers across the country. As a result, it has become evident that the traditional bridge structural system over major rivers is no longer capable of providing the required services to rural communities, enhancing economic growth, ensuring navigability, facilitating uninterrupted water transport and water flow, and protecting the natural environment and river ecosystem.
To address these challenges, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has taken an initiative to construct long-span and medium-long-span bridges that are highly compatible with river systems. Giving the river ecosystem top priority, several projects have been proposed under funding support from the China Government.
Feasibility studies for the proposed bridges are currently underway, which will assist in formulating the Project Development Proposal Paper (PDPP) or Development Project Proposal (DPP) after finalization of the funding.
The PDPP for the project titled “Construction of High-Tech Bridge on Rural Roads in Bangladesh” has already been formulated and is currently under process at the Economic Relations Division (ERD). PDPPs for other proposed projects are also under preparation and will be submitted soon.
The feasibility studies conducted for the bridges indicate that these projects are expected to generate substantial economic growth in rural areas, which will ultimately contribute significantly to achieving national GDP targets. With the objective of accelerating rural economic growth and bringing social transformation, six major projects have been proposed under the financial assistance of the China Government.
LGED’s current Chief Engineer, Md. Belal Hossain coordinated with both local and foreign experts in the design and planning of the country’s first cable-stayed bridge, marking a significant milestone in Bangladesh’s bridge engineering and river-friendly infrastructure development.
