The government has proposed an allocation of Tk 80,498 crore for the communication sector, encompassing roads, bridges, railways, sea routes, and airways, in the budget for FY2024-25. This marks a decrease of Tk 4,693 crore from the previous year’s allocation of Tk 85,191 crore.
Finance Minister AH Mahmood Ali presented the proposed budget at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Thursday. In his speech, he highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to build and improve the nation’s communication network. Over 1,439 bridges have been constructed or reconstructed on various highways, resulting in a well-developed highway infrastructure spanning 22,476 km. This network ensures smooth and uninterrupted transportation of goods and passengers. Additionally, 851.62 km of National Highways have been upgraded to four lanes and above under various completed and ongoing projects.
Looking ahead, the government plans to construct 12 expressways and 10 elevated expressways by 2041. The Dhaka-Joydebpur-Devgram-Bhulta-Madanpur access-controlled highway is progressing rapidly under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement. Furthermore, a 39.23 km long Dhaka East-West Elevated Expressway is planned, extending from Baliapur on the Dhaka-Aricha highway via Nimtoli-Keraniganj-Fatullah-Bandar to Langalbanda on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.
Minister Ali also emphasized the development of the railway sector as a cost-effective and safe means of transportation for passengers and goods. Several projects are being implemented in line with the Bangladesh Railway Master Plan, the Eighth Five Year Plan, the 2nd Perspective Plan, Sustainable Development Goals, and the 2024 Election Manifesto.
In a significant move towards developing ‘Smart Bangladesh,’ the government will introduce a credit scoring system utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology to facilitate loan services from digital banks. This initiative aims to simplify loan processing and identify fake and anonymous borrowers more effectively. The finance minister highlighted this while presenting the Tk 7.97 lakh crore national budget for FY25.
As part of this initiative, letters of intent were issued on October 25, 2023, for two digital banks – Nagad Digital Bank PLC and Kori Digital Bank PLC. These digital banks aim to provide information and technology-based banking services to the public, with plans to increase the number of digital banks in the future.
