Bridges Division

division · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head: Mohammad Abdur Rouf
Role: Secretary
Annual budget: —
Staff: —
Established: 2008
Legal basis: Rules of Business 1996 (Bangladesh); Bangladesh Bridge Authority Act 2016; Government notification of 31 March 2008 establishing the division

Operating Padma Bridge profitably (Tk 30+ billion cumulative toll, Tk 25 million/day average) while the Karnaphuli Tunnel hemorrhages money at roughly 4x daily costs over revenue; Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge now operational; Jamuna Bridge widening contracted to CRBC; feasibility studies ongoing for second Padma and Jamuna bridges.

Recent activity

2026-02-19 other Padma Bridge recorded 41,885 vehicle crossings in a single 24-hour period in March 2026, generating Tk 45.4 million in daily toll. Cumulative toll revenue since the June 2022 inauguration crossed Tk 30 billion by January 2026 (43 months), against a total construction cost of Tk 307.7 billion; the Bridges Division repays the government loan at 1% interest over 35 years via 140 quarterly instalments running to FY2056-57. ↗↗
2026-02-26 other The Karnaphuli Tunnel's official name was changed from 'Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel' to 'Karnaphuli Tunnel' on 26 February 2025 by the interim government; the tunnel continues to grossly underperform with daily traffic of only 3,000-3,500 vehicles against a feasibility-study forecast of 28,305 by 2025. Daily operating expenditure of Tk 2-2.2 million exceeds revenue fourfold; annual operating contract (2022-2027) costs the Bridges Division Tk 1.97 billion per year. Authorities attribute failure to incomplete approach roads, absent Bay Terminal, and restricted vehicle categories (CNGs and motorcycles barred). ↗↗↗
2026-03-18 other Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge (Jamuna Rail Bridge) -- a 4.8 km dual-gauge double-track bridge across the Jamuna River -- became fully operational on March 18, 2025 after trial runs from November 2024. The bridge reduces crossing time from 40-50 minutes to 6-7 minutes and can accommodate up to 88 trains daily. Bridges Division and BBA have since confirmed that the abandoned rail-bearing structure on the original Jamuna Bridge will be repurposed for road widening. ↗↗↗
2026-04-15 policy Bridges Division Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rouf announced five priority areas for FY2026-27: construction and expansion of major bridges, tunnels, and related infrastructure, and elevated expressways. Feasibility studies for a second Padma Bridge (Paturia-Daulatdia alignment, 4.9 km, target completion 2032) and a second Jamuna Bridge (three alternative alignments, target 2033) are underway. Rouf flagged that approach roads to the Jamuna Bridge are being upgraded to six lanes while the bridge itself remains four lanes, creating a bottleneck. ↗↗
2026-05-13 procurement BBA Chief Engineer Kazi Md Ferdous signed an agreement with China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) on May 13, 2026 to widen the existing Jamuna (Bangabandhu) Bridge by 3.5 metres using the now-redundant structure originally built for the old rail tracks, which became unused after the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge opened. The widening will improve road capacity for northwestern and western Bangladesh. ↗↗

Provenance & notes

Bridges Division established 31 March 2008 via government notification, carved from the former Communications Ministry. Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rouf (promoted 27 February 2025) also serves as Executive Director of Bangladesh Bridge Authority ex officio -- a structural feature that makes the secretary simultaneously divisional head and BBA chief executive. The BBA was established in 1985 as Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority, renamed BBA on 19 December 2007, and operates under the Bangladesh Bridge Authority Act 2016. annual_budget_bdt is omitted: publicly available FY2025-26 budget documents do not disaggregate the Bridges Division allocation separately from the broader MORT envelope in sources accessible at verification date; the parent ministry file records Tk 32,329.57 crore for Road Transport and Highways Division only. Padma Bridge ETC: RFID-based electronic toll collection operational at both Mawa and Jazira plazas via Pubali Bank, Jamuna Bank, Dutch-Bangla Bank, Nagad, and bKash. Karnaphuli Tunnel: project cost Tk 10,374 crore (~US$930 million); built by CCCC; opened 28 October 2023; operated under Karnaphuli Tunnel Authority post-rename. Jamuna Rail Bridge (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge): 4.8 km, dual-gauge, double-track; inaugurated 18 March 2025; JICA-funded; can carry trains at 120 km/h (broad gauge) and 100 km/h (metre gauge). Verification: 2+ primary sources cross-checked for all key claims.

Bridges Division

Profile

Recent activity

Sources