AIIB agrees $404m loan for Bangladesh cross-border road project
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has agreed a $404 million loan to improve Bangladesh’s intercity travel and cross-border connectivity.
The upgrade of the country’s national highway N2 between Sylhet and the Tamabil border crossing will improve overall commuter safety and reduce travel times for road users, including freight vehicles and buses. Project funds will go toward the construction, operation and maintenance of roads, in addition to institutional and project management support.
The Sylhet-Tamabil road (about 56.16km) is part of the Dhaka-Narsingdi-Sylhet-Tamabil National Highway corridor with a total length of 286km. The corridor is strategically important for subregional connectivity with seven northeastern states of India, as well as Bhutan, Myanmar and China.