The government is preparing an integrated multimodal transport plan to replace scattered projects and better coordinate roads, railways, waterways, and air routes, an adviser to the transport ministries said Tuesday.

“By mapping existing infrastructure alongside passenger and goods movement data, we can detect gaps, prioritise investments, and choose the most cost- and time-efficient modes,” said Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the road transport, bridges, and railways ministries.

Speaking at a virtual event on the “State of Investment Climate – Bangladesh,” organised by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), he said the draft plan will be ready next month and shared with businesses after consultations in September and October.

The move follows years of neglect of the National Integrated Multimodal Transport Policy, formulated in 2013. Since then, road transport’s share of total movement has risen to over 80%, worsening imbalances in the transport system.

Bida Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury also announced the creation of the country’s first investor relationship management team, which will act as a single point of contact for investors, modeled after banking practices.

The team aims to streamline processes, promote collaboration between the public and private sectors, and enhance service delivery.

He said BIDA, in collaboration with the Home Ministry, will introduce a digitized system from September to reduce delays in security clearances for foreign professionals. Incentives to attract foreign investment from Bangladeshis will also be rolled out in the fourth quarter.