Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday ordered authorities concerned to expedite work on Dhaka’s long-planned Inner Circular Ring Road while giving renewed emphasis to a 110-kilometre circular waterway, describing the two projects as central to easing the capital’s chronic traffic congestion.
At a high-level review meeting at the secretariat, the prime minister assessed progress on key transport initiatives and directed the agencies concerned to accelerate implementation.
In parallel, a government delegation inspected several proposed sites for relocating inter-district bus terminals and depots as part of a wider strategy to reduce traffic pressure inside the city.
The meeting was attended by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Abdus Salam, Local Government Division Secretary Shahidul Hasan, Road Transport Secretary Ziaul Haque, Shipping Secretary Md Zakaria, Railways Secretary Fahmidul Islam, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Chairman Mahidul Islam, DSCC Chief Executive Officer Zahirul Islam, Chief Engineer Nur Azizur Rahman, Additional Chief Engineer Kazi Md Borhan Uddin, Superintending Engineer Mithun Chandra Shil, and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) professors Khan Mahmud Amanat and Md Hadiuzzaman, among others.
Speaking to the the media, DSCC Superintending Engineer and Director of the Rayerbazar-Kamrangirchar Circular Road Project Mithun Chandra Shil said the meeting received a detailed presentation on how the proposed infrastructure would help tackle Dhaka’s worsening traffic congestion.
“The meeting was briefed in detail on how the project could help reduce traffic congestion in the capital. The Prime Minister was also updated on the latest progress of the Inner Circular Ring Road project. Construction work of the Rayerbazar-Kamrangirchar section of the 12-kilometre project has progressed 45%,” he said.
Shil said discussions also focused on the second phase of the Inner Circular Ring Road – from Gabtoli to Babubazar and from Postogola to Demra.
“The PM instructed us to hurry the process,” he added.
Officials told the meeting that once completed, the ring road would allow traffic travelling between Dhaka and Sylhet, Mawa and Chattogram to bypass the city’s inner roads, significantly reducing pressure on the capital’s road network.
The meeting also reviewed plans to utilise the proposed 110-kilometre circular waterway encircling Dhaka.
According to officials, the route could provide an alternative mode of urban transport, enabling commuters to travel between different parts of the city while easing pressure on roads.
Experts briefing the meeting said the proposed service would be environmentally friendly, energy-efficient and time-saving, with electric-powered vessels operating along the route.
Meanwhile, a high-level government delegation visited several proposed locations for relocating inter-district bus terminals and depots, another key component of the government’s traffic management strategy.
The team inspected sites at Purbachal Sectors 3 and 19, Diabari, Gabtoli Bus Terminal, Chunkutia (Baghair, opposite the jail), Tegharia Underpass, Hasnabad (Ekuria), Kanchpur and Fulbaria.
The delegation included Pabna-5 lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Home Secretary Manjur Morshed Chowdhury, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, Additional Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division Anisur Rahman, Roads and Highways Department Additional Chief Engineer AKM Azad Rahman, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Chairman Mohammad Habibur Rahman and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Chairman Engineer Md Riazul Islam, among others.
During the visit, officials assessed the existing infrastructure, vehicle handling capacity, connecting road networks, land availability and the overall suitability of the proposed sites.
They also issued directives aimed at improving traffic management, establishing a more organised public transport system and reducing congestion across the Dhaka metropolitan area.
Courtesy: Daily Sun.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
