Nearly 97% of infrastructure completed without launching bus service
After wasting Tk 2,810 crore on Dhaka–Gazipur BRT, the government plans to spend another Tk 45 crore demolishing what took 14 years to build. Photo: Rajib Dhar
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After wasting Tk 2,810 crore on Dhaka–Gazipur BRT, the government plans to spend another Tk 45 crore demolishing what took 14 years to build. Photo: Rajib Dhar
Urban planners, architects and transport experts have called the government’s decision to scrap the dedicated lanes of the Dhaka-Gazipur Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project “illogical and suicidal”, demanding an investigation into alleged irregularities and a white paper.
At a press conference at the National Press Club yesterday (11 November), they opposed the cabinet’s 18 October decision to convert the BRT corridor into a six-lane highway after spending around Tk2,800 crore and completing nearly 97% of its infrastructure without launching bus services.
They said those responsible for mistakes or corruption should be held accountable rather than abandoning the BRT system.
The event was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB), Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust and Gazipur Heritage and Development.
BIP President Muhammad Ariful Islam called for an independent assessment of financial and operational losses, potential travel time savings and environmental benefits before any final decision. He urged a third-party investigation into technical flaws and irregularities while retaining the BRT lanes.
Gazipur Heritage and Development President Engineer Shamsul Haque criticised delays in the project, launched in 2012. He compared its 14-year implementation with a 28-kilometre BRT system built in two years in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Haque said scrapping the lanes would affect planned crossing facilities at 25 stations, particularly hurting women and persons with disabilities. He also criticised policymakers who did not use public transport.
BIP General Secretary Professor Musleh Uddin Hasan said a bus franchise system alone could not replace BRT and sought a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Communist Party of Bangladesh leader Ruhin Hossain Prince criticised the lack of public information about the project’s future and demanded a white paper by independent experts.
Transport expert Engineer Mahbubul Bari described abandoning BRT for a conventional road as “suicidal”.
He said studies by Buet and other institutions had shown the project’s potential, warning that plans to link six additional bus routes could be jeopardised.
IAB General Secretary Professor Masudur Rashid said design flaws could be addressed through technical fixes instead of abandoning the project after feasibility studies.
The organisers presented eight demands, including reconsidering the 18 October decision, forming an independent investigation commission, publishing a white paper, declaring the Airport-Gazipur corridor an urban arterial road and expanding BRT networks nationwide.
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