The N2 is a Bangladeshi national highway connecting the capital

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

and the town of

Tamabil Tamabil () is a hilly region in Sylhet on the border between Bangladesh and the Indian state of Meghalaya about 5 km from Jaflong. It stands on the Sylhet-Shillong Road some from Sylhet town in Bangladesh. It is well known for the Bang ...

in the

Sylhet District Sylhet District (), located in north-east Bangladesh, is one of the four districts in Sylhet Division, which contains Sylhet, the regional capital. History Sylhet District was established on 3 January 1782, and until 1878 it was part of Benga ...

at the Indian border. The route passes through the city of

Sylhet Sylhet (; ) is a Metropolis, metropolitan city in the north eastern region of Bangladesh. It serves as the administrative center for both the Sylhet District and the Sylhet Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Surma River and, as o ...

, crossing the

Surma River The Surma () is a major river in Bangladesh, part of the Surma-Meghna River System. It starts when the Barak River from northeast India divides at the Bangladesh border into the Surma and the Kushiyara rivers. It ends in Kishoreganj District, ...

on the

Keane bridge The Keane Bridge is a notable landmark of Sylhet city, Bangladesh. This bridge is called ''the gateway to Sylhet city''. After Earl Robert Miller, the ambassador of USA to Bangladesh visited the bridge and recommended its sole use as a ped ...

. Sections of the highway are known as the Dhaka–Sylhet Highway and the Sylhet–Tamabil Highway. It is part of

AH1 Asian Highway 1 (AH1) is the longest east-west route of the Asian Highway Network, running from Tokyo, Japan via the Korean Peninsula (South Korea and North Korea), China (Mainland China and Hong Kong), Mainland Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Camb ...

and

AH2 Asian Highway 2 (AH2) is a road in the Asian Highway Network running from Denpasar, Indonesia to Merak, and Singapore to Khosravi, Iran. The route is connected to M10 of the Arab Mashreq International Road Network. The route is as follows: ...

in the

Asian Highway Network The Asian Highway Network (AH), also known as the Great Asian Highway, is a cooperative project among countries in Asia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to improve their connectivity via hig ...

. A project is currently underway to upgrade the two-lane Dhaka–Sylhet–Tamabil highway, parts of which have been described as among the most accident-prone in the country, to six lanes.

N2 route

Significance

The significance of the Dhaka–Sylhet–Tamabil corridor lies in its status as the second most crucial highway in Bangladesh, serving as a vital route for regional connectivity and trade. This corridor is an integral part of the Asian Highway network. Sylhet, known for its potential in tourism and natural resources, hosts several industrial and economic zones. Expanding this highway will not only enhance trade with India's northeastern states, including

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

, but also establish sub-regional road connections and cross-border connectivity with China, Myanmar, and Bhutan. The highway has been described as one of the most accident-prone in the country and the deadliest in the world.

Expansion

A project aimed at upgrading the two-lane Dhaka–Sylhet highway into six lanes, comprising four main lanes and two additional service lanes, was approved in February 2021 with a deadline set for December 2026. The estimated cost of the project, implemented by the

Roads and Highways Department The Roads and Highways Department () is an Government agency, agency of the Government of Bangladesh responsible for the construction and maintenance of highways and bridges across Bangladesh. The department is a subsidiary of the Road Transport ...

(RHD), is around , with the

Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank to promote social and economic development in Asia. The bank is headquartered in Metro Manila, Philippines and maintains 31 field offices around the world. The bank was establishe ...

(ADB) extending loan assistance of . The total length of the road covered by the project is . The RHD is also preparing to upgrade the two-lane Sylhet–Tamabil highway to four lanes, including two additional service lanes. Despite approval in September 2020, delays in land acquisition and contractor selection have hindered progress. The project is mostly funded by the

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank and international financial institution that aims to collectively improve economic and social outcomes in Asia. It is the world's second largest multi-lateral d ...

(AIIB), providing a loan of . Completion is expected by June 2025.

References

Transport in Sylhet AH1 National highways in Bangladesh {{Bangladesh-road-stub