Roads for Economic Growth: An Approach in Bangladesh (Presentation 658)

Bangladesh is one of the few countries in the world that has all modes of transport serving the needs of economy and people. It has a vast network of highway and rural roads, a railway system, inland waterways. The road network has all most non-existent with only 600km of narrow paved roads existing in 1947. The road network expanded to an impressive, most of which 301,368km were built after independence in 1971. 
Bangladesh remains primarily a rural society, with about 80% of the population living in rural areas. Although rural Bangladesh is poor, it has many characteristics, which result in a highly active rural cash economy in which mobility and trading are of crucial importance. As predominantly rural country, rural infrastructure plays a vital role in supporting economic growth changing the socio-economic condition.