Construction costs in Bangladesh 4 times higher than India
Data reveals that the cost of building a four-lane urban arterial road in Bangladesh is 4.4 times higher than in India and 2.15 times more expensive than in Pakistan
Construction costs in Bangladesh are significantly higher than regional counterparts, while the quality of infrastructure remains comparatively lower, according to the findings of the white paper body on economy formed by the interim government.
The draft report, submitted to the chief adviser today (1 December) reveals that the cost of building a four-lane urban arterial road in Bangladesh is 4.4 times higher than in India and 2.15 times more expensive than in Pakistan.
Specific projects highlight this disparity: the Rangpur-Hatikumrul four-lane transport link cost $6.47 million per kilometre, while the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway reached $7.06 million per kilometre. The Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga four-lane Highway Project was priced at Tk113.7 crore per kilometre.
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Explanations for these inflated costs often include high land acquisition expenses, reliance on imported machinery, steep import tariffs, and challenges associated with floodplain construction. However, analyses by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), investigative journalists, and reviews of project documents suggest that these factors fail to fully justify the cost discrepancies, the white paper committee found.
