Staff Reporter:
The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges has formed eight oversight committees to ensure the effective monitoring of projects under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD).
These committees will supervise every stage of project implementation, from procurement and tendering to field-level execution and mobilisation.
An office order issued on 18 December outlined the committees’ roles, stating their primary responsibility is to oversee project activities, ensuring compliance with specifications and maintaining quality standards.
Each committee comprises seven members, led by an additional secretary. Other members include joint secretaries, deputy secretaries, district commissioners, executive engineers from RHD and deputy directors from the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division.
The committees will oversee projects across eight zones, including Rangpur, Cumilla-Chattogram, Gopalganj, Rajshahi-Rangpur, Khulna-Barishal and Dhaka. Additionally, they will monitor ongoing projects by BRTA, DTCA, DMTCL and Dhaka BRT.
The responsibilities of the oversight committees are extensive, focusing on various aspects of project implementation and maintenance. One of their primary roles is to ensure quality assurance by verifying that work under the Periodic Maintenance Programme, major and minor initiatives and other revenue budget activities meet specifications and maintain high-quality standards.
The committees are also tasked with supervising the implementation of both government-funded and foreign-aided projects, ensuring these initiatives adhere to planned timelines and quality benchmarks. Additionally, they address issues affecting road networks, public mobility or traffic flow, promptly bringing such matters to the attention of relevant authorities.
Another key responsibility involves verifying the proper utilisation of ferry ghats and pontoon infrastructure managed by the RHD.
The committees are required to conduct field visits at least twice a month, with a preference for weekends and public holidays to avoid disruption to ongoing activities. These visits may also include inspections of toll facilities and other departmental operations whenever feasible.
Oversight activities will be led by the assigned additional secretaries. In their absence, the committees will be headed by joint secretaries, with prior approval. Key officials, including the chairman of BRTA, managing directors of DMTCL and Dhaka BRT and the chief engineer of RHD, have been instructed to provide necessary support to the committees.
Md Hadiuzzaman, a transportation expert and professor at the Banglades
