- Transport in Bangladesh
Railways
Railway acts as an important method of mass transport in
Bangladesh . Many districts of the country are connected via railroads. Bangladesh Railway was mostly inherited from the British-established Assam Bengal railway system after the partition of India in 1947. Bangladesh Railway's headquarters are located in the southern port city ofChittagong , which had historically been the south-eastern terminus of the Assam-Bengal Railway. After independence from West Pakistan in 1971, only a small length of new tracks were laid out.As of
2005 , the total length of railroad is 2,706 km. [http://www.railway.gov.bd/Faq.html Bangladesh Railway Website FAQ] ] Of that, 923 km arebroad gauge (1.676 meter) tracks (mostly in the western region), while the remaining 1,822 km are narrow gauge tracks (mostly in the central and eastern regions). The gauge problem is being tackled by adding third rails to the most important broad and narrow gauge routes, so that they become dual gauge.A major road-rail bridge at Jamuna opened in 1998 to connect the previously isolated east and west rail networks.
The border between India and Bangladesh cuts across rail lines, forcing them into the other country for short distances. This complicates border controls such as passport validation.
Roads
"Total:"201,182 km
"Paved:"19,112 km
"Unpaved:"182,070 km (1997 est.)Waterways
5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo routes)
Because of Bangladesh's many rivers, ferries are a major form of transportation. These ferries are notoriously dangerous. They are often overloaded, and they continue to operate during rough weather. Hundreds of people die each year in ferry accidents. Many types of
Boat s are also used for transportation.Pipelines
Natural gas 1,220 km
Ports and harbors
*
Chittagong - east coast
*Dhaka - river port
*Mongla Port
*Sonadia - proposedMerchant marine
References
External links
*
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4554587.stm Bangladeshi ferry corpses found] , BBC News, Tuesday, 17 May, 2005.
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