| Abstract | Rural road improvement is widely recognized as a key driver of rural development, influencing economic and social outcomes across multiple sectors. Although most studies report positive outcomes, evidence suggests that these effects can vary and may be limited or insignificant in certain contexts. In Bangladesh, despite substantial investments in rural road improvement, their impacts have not been adequately assessed. Most existing studies rely on aggregated national or regional data, thereby overlooking the diverse realities of remote and geographically isolated areas. The purpose of this study was to assess the socio-economic impacts of rural road improvements in remote area of Godagari Sub-District, Rajshahi, northern Bangladesh. The study pursued three objectives: to evaluate road infrastructure improvement efforts in the study area, assess their effects on household income and non-farm employment, and analyze their impacts on access to education, healthcare, and other essential services. A mixed-method approach was adopted, combining quantitative data from 386 randomly selected households across treatment and control villages with qualitative insights from focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The findings indicate that, although road improvements have significantly enhanced rural connectivity, the study area continues to face major challenges, including a high proportion of unpaved roads, geographic isolation, high construction costs, and limited maintenance funding. The findings show that households with improved road access experienced an average income increase of about 22% relative to the control group mean income, while school enrollment increased by approximately 10.3 percentage points. In addition, households connected to improved roads were about 28.5% more likely to access healthcare centers, although no statistically significant effects were observed for non-farm employment opportunities, school dropout rates, or local market visits. Overall, the findings suggest that rural road development should be complemented by improved service delivery, market infrastructure, and social support programs to achieve broader and more inclusive development outcomes. However, the use of cross-sectional data limits the ability to assess long-term socio-economic impacts. |
