To say that the communication system of Bangladesh is in a chaotic state is to say the least. One need not be an expert to reach such a conclusion. In fact, it is obvious to anyone commuting within the city or travel to destinations closer or farther from any point in the country. To resolve the crisis a masterplan was formulated a decade back styled, 'National Integrated Multimodal Transport Policy' in 2013. Its objective was to develop an integrated transport network involving road, rail and waterways. Against this backdrop, the Chief Adviser (CA) on Sunday last reportedly, underscored the need for an integrated and balanced development of the country's road, rail and waterways system at an interministerial meeting held at the state guest house, Jamuna, where the 'Central Integrated Transport Sector Master Plan of Bangladesh' was presented.

At the same time, it was disclosed that three new terminals would be operational in Chattogram port by 2030. In fact, no development can be conceived without having an integrated communication infrastructure that involves all the existing transportation modes of a nation. The CA has rightly diagnosed the existing anarchy in transportation system and his warning in this connection that it would turn into a veritable 'noose around the neck of our economy' unless duly resolved is cogently pointed out.

In this connection, the river system of the country merits special consideration. Despite all the concerns and the sense of sanctity expressed about rivers and their water, the fact remains that they are already the worst victims of pollution and depredations, thanks to previous attempts at constructing artificial barriers to normal flow of rivers for flood control or for other purposes at home and the dams and barrages across transboundary rivers built in the upstream region on the other side of the border.

So, given the past, bitter experience of achieving development at the expense of nature and the environment and the ultimate price every nation including ourselves has been paying for that in the form of devastating impact of climate change, any fresh move to improve transportation network must take all those factors into consideration. Obviously, the situation calls for taking necessary caution so that the already overstressed rivers are not subjected to fresh efforts at harming the existing river ecosystem. Mention may be made at this point of the preliminary strategic plan that the Roads and Highways Department presented and, which, it has been informed, was developed through coordination among all the ministries concerned. It is no doubt a useful approach contrary to the previous ones missing coordination among the different departments in the government. Against this background, a plan that envisages streamlining the entire communications system by integrating different modes of transport and making improvements and adjustments as necessary is definitely a step forward.

It would also be worthwhile to mention here that in many cases in the past, the local population of a particular area where a transport infrastructure project was undertaken was hardly ever consulted. The obvious result was that such transport infrastructures came to no use of the intended beneficiaries and, therefore, proved to be a mere wastage of public resources. In the case of an integrated transport plan thus conceived, the government would do well to keep a provision for inputs from the would-be beneficiaries of the project. That would help make the desired improvements in the communications system through optimal utilisation of existing resources. It is hoped that the interim government would finally be able to give the transport master plan a long-awaited go ahead.