The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) is an important department of the Government of Bangladesh responsible for the construction, maintenance, and development of the country’s roads and highways. The department plays an important role in the infrastructural development of the country. Here is a detailed report on the activities of the Roads and Highways Department. Introduction of Roads and Highways Department

Roads and Highways Department (RHD) is a key department under the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Government of Bangladesh. Established in 1962, this department is working to accelerate the economic growth of the country through the development of road and highway infrastructure of the country. The Roads and Highways Directorate is headquartered in Dhaka, but has regional offices in all districts of the country.

Aims and objectives of Roads and Highways Department

Road Infrastructure Development: Development of the country’s road connectivity through construction of new roads and highways and maintenance of existing roads.

Expansion of Transport Network: Development of national and international quality road network to make transport system more efficient and faster.

Road Safety: Creating safer road systems to reduce road accidents, which is possible through traffic management and improving road quality.

Main activities of Roads and Highways Department

Construction of New Roads and Highways: The Department of Roads and Public Ways develops road connectivity throughout the country by constructing new roads and highways. It also includes inter-district, inter-city and international link roads.

Maintenance and Repair: Durability and quality of roads are maintained through regular maintenance and repair of existing roads and highways. This includes improvements to potholes, signage and road dividers.

Construction of Bridges and Overpasses: Road transportation is made easier and faster by constructing bridges over rivers, canals, and other obstacles. Also, traffic problems are solved by constructing overpasses and underpasses in urban areas.

Safe Road Arrangements: The Department establishes road management and safety signage to ensure road safety. Apart from this, various public awareness programs are also conducted to reduce road accidents. Project planning and implementation: The department adopts project plans from time to time and takes effective steps to implement them. These projects include road development, bridge construction, and road widening projects.

Challenges of Roads and Highways Department

The Roads and Highways Department faces a variety of challenges that affect their operations. Some of the notable ones are:

Lack of Funding: Lack of necessary funding complicates the planning and maintenance of roads and highways.

Related Land Issues: Land acquisition is a major issue in road construction. Sometimes it becomes very difficult to collect land from the land owners which leads to delay in the implementation of the project.

Engineering Constraints: The Department’s lack of engineering skills and equipment hampers various development projects.

Natural Disasters: Natural disasters such as floods, landslides, and cyclones have a detrimental effect on roads and highways.

Human Resource Development: Lack of training and skill development of the Roads and Highways staff makes it difficult to maintain quality of work in various areas. Developmental Actions of the Roads and Highways Department

The Department of Roads and Highways has taken various developmental steps which are making the country’s road system more efficient and safer. Some of the notable steps include:

Highway Development: The department is implementing various development projects to make the country’s major highways world-class and reduce transport costs. Widening and development of major roads like Dhaka-Chittagong highway, Dhaka-Sylhet highway is one of the achievements of this department.

Digital Road Management: There are plans to digitize road management using modern technology. It will increase road safety and also make maintenance easier.

Undertaking new projects: The department undertakes new projects including construction of expressways, widening of roads, and construction of new bridges.

Development of Safety System: To reduce road accidents, the department has taken various safety initiatives such as safety railings, installation of signages, and development works at black spots.

Future plans of Roads and Highways Department

The Department of Roads and Highways has planned to bring more modern and sustainable changes in the road communication system in the future. These include:

Improved Communication: New roads and bridges are planned to be constructed to ensure improved communication in remote areas of the country.

Sustainability of transport system: Initiatives will be taken to make roads durable to ensure sustainability in transport system.

World Class Infrastructure: The Department will use high quality construction materials and apply advanced engineering methods to build world class infrastructure.

The Roads and Highways Department plays an important role in the development of the country’s road infrastructure. Improved road system accelerates the economic growth of the country and helps improve the standard of living of the people. It has become an integral part in meeting the development goals of the country through the activities of the Directorate. If their developmental work continues, Bangladesh will be established as a country with a developed road network in the future.