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Bangladesh, classified as 'Least Developed Country' (LDC) by the United Nations, has one of the highest population densities world-wide and widespread poverty is a serious problem, especially in rural areas. One of the main causes for poverty is physical isolation, which not only hinders access to basic needs in affected areas but also access to important social facilities, municipal authorities as well as to the focal points of the local economy, the rural markets. Bangladesh has a dense transportation network, four fifths of its roads are made of earth, however, which makes them a large extent impassable during and after the rainy season. Therefore, the Bangladesh Government made the improvement of living conditions in rural areas its main goal in the 1980's. Since then, the development of rural roads and markets (growth centres) has played an important role in the development strategy of the country. Numerous of Rural Development Projects (RDPs) have since then been implemented nationwide jointly with bi- and multilateral donors. The Tangail Infrastructure Development Project (TIDP) which is analyzed in this thesis, also ranks in the category of RDPs. The monitoring unit of TIDP identified the following direct effects of the project measures: increase in traffic and mobility, time savings and reduction in transport rates for freight and passengers. In addition, the project markets have developed into attractive centers with higher demand, better prices for locally produced goods and a greater variety of goods and services. Moreover, the participation of the target population in road construction and maintenance created employment. The investigation of indirect, long-term – i.e. socioeconomic – impact of infrastructure measures on the affected population forms an integral part of the thesis, with special regard to the poor and to women, who are traditionally disadvantaged in Bangladesh's society. The research is methodically based on a comparison between the situation "with and without" project intervention, ...