Govt drops plan for dedicated BRT service in Gazipur

The government has decided not to operate dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services on the Gazipur corridor, opting instead to dismantle station buildings and road dividers and widen two overpasses from two to four lanes.

The cabinet also decided to dissolve the state-owned Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit PLC and transfer its responsibilities to the Road Transport and Highways Division.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on 18 October. The Road Transport and Highways Division issued an order on 19 October to implement the decision.

Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), a platform of urban planners, slammed the decision, terming it the worst choice and urging the government to revoke it.

Saying residents had endured 14 long years of construction, Gazipur Heritage and Development, a body of civil society members, also urged the introduction of BRT lanes and buses.

Construction work began in 2012, with a plan to have a dedicated lane from Shibbari to Gazipur. It was also planned to extend the BRT line to Keraniganj.

The Tk4,268.32 crore project had completed 97% of its infrastructure work, spending Tk2,811 crore, by its December 2024 deadline. Overall physical progress stood at 77.48%. The deadline has not been extended since.

BIP slams the decision

The Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) has strongly protested the decision to cancel the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, calling it a “black day” for sustainable, energy-efficient and inclusive public transport.

BIP alleged a conflict of interest, saying the decision favoured private cars, their users and the local and global construction lobby, contrary to the recommendations of the Gazipur Transport Master Plan (GTMP) and revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP) for Dhaka. It also ignored the mobility needs of Gazipur and Uttara residents who have endured 14 years of construction-related hardship.

BIP made six demands, including reversing the BRT project cancellation, forming an integrated body to oversee BRT and MRT operations and related activities, and expanding BRT plans across Dhaka and other metropolitan areas.

The institute urged the government to replace project-based transport decisions with planning-based approaches and prioritise low-cost, quick-to-implement projects serving more people, including women, short-distance commuters, persons with disabilities and low-income groups.

BIP also called for making the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) the lead transport planning agency for greater Dhaka, directly under the Prime Minister’s Office, and reiterated its firm opposition to the reported decision, warning it would undermine sustainable, inclusive public transport.

Gazipur residents protest BRT scrapping

Gazipur residents and transport users protested the reported decision to scrap the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, warning that dismantling infrastructure built at a cost of nearly Tk3,000 crore would waste public money and prolong commuters’ suffering.

In a statement, Gazipur Heritage and Development said 97% of civil works had been completed, with only 3% remaining. It called converting the dedicated BRT infrastructure into a conventional highway unjustified, against public interest and inconsistent with modern, orderly public transport.

The government promised a fast, safe public transport service on the Gazipur-Airport corridor in 2012, leaving residents waiting 14 years, the statement said, adding that changing the infrastructure now would betray their long-standing expectations.

The group said the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), IDP and Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) had indicated that BRT services could launch with limited additional costs.

It criticised the Cabinet for allegedly ignoring their recommendations in favour of what it called the most destructive, complicated option, warning that opening dedicated BRT lanes to mixed traffic could worsen congestion and air pollution, undermining sustainable urban transport.

Tk3,000cr not wasted

Former director of the Accident Research Institute and civil engineering professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Dr Md Shamsul Hoque said that the money was not a total waste as only station buildings were being dismantled.

The professor, who was a technical adviser to the government on the issue, said, “Where is the Tk3,000 crore loss? Are vehicles not using the overpasses and footbridges, widened roads and footpaths? If you consider the suffering of Gazipur residents, it is huge. The government is considering increasing commuter trains. Besides, they will get the first electric trains of the country.”

Justifying the decision, Prof Shamsul said, “The BRT concept was to transport Gazipur residents to Motijheel quickly. It was planned that the first line would be Keraniganj-Motijheel and the second would be Gazipur-Airport. When the first plan was thwarted due to clashing development works, then what is the utility of the second part? If you transport them from Gazipur to the airport quickly, they will face tremendous problems getting to Motijheel. So, the option chosen was the best.”