FROM PAGE 3

the reason behind the large number of D-category bridges, he explained that until 2021, RHD had no structured bridge inspection practice, and this first comprehensive inspection revealed the extent of the problem.

He said years of overloading; climate change impacts like rising temperatures, humidity, and salinity; and inadequate maintenance budgets have contributed to the poor condition of many structures.

Regarding current efforts, he said maintenance work is underway based on a priority list.

However, delays are being caused by challenges such as drawing designs for a large number of bridges, funding shortages, and the limited capacity of local construction firms.

He also said Bangladesh still lacks its own bridge construction code and currently relies on foreign codes. “We have now taken steps to develop a national bridge code,” he added.

At the event, Sheikh Moinuddin, special assistant to the chief adviser for the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry, said although engineers use the AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) code, it should be adapted to local conditions, including climate factors.

He stressed the need for better collaboration between departments and between professionals and academia, breaking the existing siloed approach. He also encouraged drawing on the experience of Bangladeshi experts living abroad.

Prof Nur Yazdani, director of the Next-Gen Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure Lab at the University of Texas, said bridge inspections should be more structured.

He also said Bangladesh should develop its own load model based on local vehicle types.

BUET Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Badruzzaman called for greater collaboration between local and expatriate experts.

Prof Shamsul Hoque of Buet’s Civil Engineering Department said structural reforms are necessary and political leadership must take initiative in this regard.

He stressed that proper planning is more important than just monitoring, and suggested the metro rail authority conduct a technical review of the first metro rail project to avoid flaws in future ones.

RHD Chief Engineer Syed Moinul Hasan; Bangladesh Bridge Authority Chief Engineer Quazi Muhammad Ferdous; and Prof Tanvir Manzur, director of BuetJIDPUS; also spoke at the event.

SASEC Road Connectivity Project-2 Director Waliur Rahman chaired the programme.