Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh

What Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh does

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) is the sole government directorate of Bangladesh responsible for the development, maintenance, and management of the national, regional, and district road network. Established in 1962 when the former Communications and Buildings Department was split, RHD operates under the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and is headquartered at Sroad Bhaban, Tejgaon, Dhaka-1208. The department currently manages an infrastructure portfolio of approximately 22,418.95 km of roads, 3,548 bridges, 856 Bailey bridges, and 14,814 culverts, with 384 employees and a Chief Engineer as its operational head.

RHD operates a comprehensive portfolio of internal digital infrastructure systems. These include a GIS Portal for spatial visualization of the road and bridge network, a Bridge Management System (BMS) for bridge inventory and inspection, a Road Management System with HdM-4 for pavement maintenance optimization, a Central Management System (CMS) and Project Monitoring System (PRMS) for project and administrative workflows, an Axle Load Database for vehicle weight enforcement, a Vehicle Management System (VEMS), an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system, and a Tenderers' Database Management System (TDMS). The TDMS won the South Asia Procurement Innovation Award 2017. RHD systems are integrated with national e-governance platforms including e-Nothi, e-GP (electronic government procurement), and GPMS, and support public-facing services via the rhd.portal.gov.bd portal and a mobile directory app.

RHD does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded by the Government of Bangladesh exchequer supplemented by international donor financing from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Revenue inflows are limited to regulated road and bridge tolls and vehicle axle load fees collected on behalf of the state, not commercial pricing. The department serves the general public, commercial transport operators, and donor-funded development programs including the Bangladesh Road Safety Project, the Sylhet-Charkhai-Sheola Highway Improvement Project, the Sylhet-Tamabil and Sylhet-Sheola road projects, the Kewatkhali Bridge, the Mirganj Bridge, and the WeCARE Project.

Name

Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh

Legal name

Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh (সড়ক ও জনপথ অধিদপ্তর)

Website

https://rhd.portal.gov.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) is the sole Bangladeshi government agency responsible for developing and maintaining the national, regional, and district road and bridge network, managing over 22,418 km of roads and 3,548 bridges and funded by the state budget and multilateral donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Road Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (23731), Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (237310), Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (2373), Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237), Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (237110)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Road & Highway Authorities (Planning, Construction, Maintenance) (BPAIALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Roadside Vegetation & Right-of-Way (ROW) Management (TLAJAAAG), Highway & Roadway Construction (Highways, Arterials, Streets) (IMAFAEAA), State/Provincial Transportation, Roads & Public Works Administration (BPAIABAK), Traffic Systems & Road Safety Infrastructure (Signals, ITS, Barriers, Signage, Markings) (IMAFAEAI)

Keywords

• Road infrastructure management
• Highway development
• Bridge construction
• Public works
• Transport infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) develops, maintains, and manages Bangladesh's national, regional, and district road and bridge infrastructure, covering 22,418.95 km of roads, 3,548 bridges, 856 Bailey bridges, and 14,814 culverts. It enforces axle load regulations, collects road and bridge tolls, manages procurement through a digital tendering system, and conducts emergency road restoration during floods and natural disasters.

Product overview

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) operates a comprehensive suite of digital services for road infrastructure management in Bangladesh. The portfolio includes GIS mapping and spatial analysis tools (GIS Portal, Distance Measurement Tool), infrastructure databases (Highway and Bridge Data, Bridge Database Management System, Axle Load Database), project monitoring systems, and document management solutions. Supporting operations, RHD provides employee management (Personnel Management System, Pension System), vehicle fleet management (VEMS), training management, and meeting scheduling systems. For public services, the department offers Electronic Toll Collection enabling cashless payments via upay and e-Toll apps, alongside the Contractor Database for vendor management. Internal government integration is achieved through D-Nothi for digital document workflows and CMS for administrative processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RHD GIS Portal Online GIS portal providing spatial data, mapping services, and visualization for road and bridge infrastructure management across the RHD network in Bangladesh.
• Bridge Database Management System (BMS) Comprehensive system for managing bridge-related data including inspection records, maintenance schedules, and structural assessments covering 3,548 bridges and 856 Bailey bridges in Bangladesh.
• Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) Electronic toll collection system enabling cashless payment at toll plazas using mobile apps (upay) and prepaid accounts via the Dutch-Bangla Bank e-Toll App.
• Project Monitoring System (PRMS) Online system for monitoring and tracking development projects, their progress, and implementation status under ADP across the RHD network.
• Tenderers' Database Management System (TDMS) Database system for managing contractor information, qualifications, and performance records, enabling online tender processes; awarded South Asia Procurement Innovation Award 2017.
• Axle Load Database System for managing and monitoring vehicle axle load data to prevent road damage from overweight vehicles on the RHD network.
• Online Highway and Bridge Data Online database providing road network information, bridge data, and highway inventory for public monitoring and infrastructure planning.
• RHD Directory Mobile App Mobile application providing contact directory of RHD officers and staff for the public and stakeholders.
• GIS-based Distance Measurement Tool GIS-based tool for measuring distances along road networks for planning, engineering, and analysis purposes.
• Document Database Centralized repository for official documents, records, and administrative files of the department.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bangladesh Tenderer ForumminorOthers · 28 October 2019Annual liaison meeting platform between RHD and the tenderer community to discuss procurement processes, resolve disputes, and improve contract management practices. Facilitated through the Chief Engineer's Conference Room.
• Roads and Highways Division, Ministry of Road Transport and BridgescoreOthersRHD operates under the administrative oversight of the Roads and Highways Division of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges. The Division provides policy direction, budget approval, and supervisory oversight for all RHD activities including project implementation and toll management.
• Cabinet Division, Bangladesh (e-Governance ecosystem)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRHD participates in the national e-governance ecosystem coordinated by the Cabinet Division, utilizing platforms including e-Nothi (digital document management), e-GP (electronic government procurement), and GPMS (Government Performance Management System).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Broad incumbents

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), United States: US federal agency overseeing highway administration under the Department of Transportation. Comparable to RHD in federal-level road infrastructure oversight, policy mandate, and budget allocation models.
• National Highways (UK): UK government-owned company operating and maintaining motorways and major A-roads. Comparable to RHD in highway operations, tolling/digital revenue systems, and digital infrastructure investment, but operates in a mature developed-country context.

Regional players

• Department of Roads, Nepal: Nepal's national road authority managing highway development and maintenance. Comparable to RHD in South Asian context, similar donor dependency model, and mountainous/terrain-driven infrastructure challenges.
• Road Development Authority (RDA), Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka's national road authority responsible for highway development and maintenance. Comparable to RHD in South Asian context, national road network mandate, and donor-funded project portfolio.

Direct peers

• Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Bangladesh: Bangladesh's sister agency responsible for rural and local infrastructure. Comparable to RHD within the same national government context, with overlapping mandate on roads, bridges, and digital infrastructure management.
• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI): India's national highway authority responsible for development, maintenance, and toll collection on the national highway network. Directly comparable to RHD in mandate, toll operations, and access to multilateral donor financing for large-scale projects.
• Vietnam Directorate for Roads: Vietnam's national road authority under the Ministry of Transport managing the national highway system. Directly comparable to RHD in mandate, Southeast Asian developing-country context, and highway asset management focus.
• National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL, India): Government of India entity focused on highway and infrastructure development in strategic and border regions. Comparable to RHD in government mandate, highway focus, and reliance on international development assistance for project funding.
• National Highways Authority of Pakistan (NHA): Pakistan's national highway authority responsible for development and maintenance of national highways and motorways. Comparable to RHD in South Asian context, donor dependency model, and toll collection operations.
• Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Philippines: Philippines' primary infrastructure agency responsible for national roads, bridges, and public works. Closely comparable to RHD in scale of operations, government mandate, and developmental-country Asian context with multilateral donor involvement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhdbd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Roads and Highways Department, Bangladesh