Prospectus of Bangladesh in Developing Intermodal Freight Transportation Network in South Asia

Abstract

Asia is the destination of world trader because of its significance growth and sustainability after the economic downturn in 2008. In addition, South Asia is a place of development because of world giant India and renewed readymade garments manufacturer Bangladesh. Furthermore, Bangladesh is playing a vital role because of her position in the Bay of Bengal as worthwhile sea access points of the South Asia, South-East Asia and South-West part of China. Driven in particular, recent movement of business towards Asia and South Asia, Bangladesh has the opportunity to provide transport service in the region because of its lucrative maritime gateway and extensions of dry port, low cost in managing freight transport also the opportunity to build transport network of rail, road and river. Remarkably, recent development initiative by India exclusively for basically landlocked area Seven Sister or NE part of India, landlocked countries Nepal and Bhutan , additionally , development initiative by China for developing SW part  exclusively by Silk Route, overall, increased the responsibilities of Bangladesh for modeling integrated transport network. This paper is trying to discuss on port reformation, intermodal freight transportation system and related infrastructure development that are required by Bangladesh to do “Transport Business” in the region. Greatly, open access policy for neighbors and international trade and public private partnership initiative for infrastructure development that will create the opportunity for Bangladesh to act as integrated service provider of intermodal freight transportation in the region extremely. However, political openness and stable government along with role of government and attitude of businessman and investors are important to create such structure of intermodal freight transportation in Bangladesh. Lastly, this paper tried to set some future directions on the basis of literature review and discussion on intermodal freight transportation.

Keywords: Asia, Bay of Bengal, Intermodal, Freight, Silk Route, Infrastructure