Nurturing the Bangladesh–UK Friendship Bridge

Abstract

External support for large new infrastructure assets in developing nations is essential in the early years of operation. This paper reports on the first six years of the 1·2 km long Bangladesh–UK Friendship Bridge, completed over the Meghna River in 2002 with the help of British expertise and funding. It explains how British and Malaysian operation and maintenance skills have been transferred to the Bangladeshi workforce through joint-venture and consultancy arrangements. It also reviews social and environmental impacts of the bridge, provides an overview of performance monitoring and reports on problems identified and solutions implemented by the project team from 2003 to 2008.