The government has planned to convert the Dhaka-Gazipur Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor into a six-lane conventional highway, abandoning plans to launch dedicated BRT services after years of delays and cost escalation.
Under the proposed plan, three lanes in each direction will be allocated for general traffic. Authorities are considering removing BRT stations, lane dividers and associated infrastructure to facilitate the conversion.
The plan also includes widening two existing two-lane flyovers to four lanes, an official familiar with the process said recently.
The issue was discussed at a Cabinet meeting on October 18, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, according to a letter issued by the Road Transport and Highways Division on October 19.
The meeting decided to dissolve Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit PLC and transfer it to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) for oversight, the letter said.
The authorities concerned have been asked to submit an initial progress report on implementing the decisions within 15 days. They must also provide updated progress reports by the third day of each month until the decisions are fully implemented.
RHD Chief Engineer Md Moniruzzaman told BSS that the department had been informed of the government’s decision and was taking the necessary steps.
He said an initial progress report would be submitted to the relevant authorities within 15 days, with further action taken in line with government directives.
The 20.5-kilometre BRT corridor project was approved in November 2012 at an estimated cost of Tk 2,037.9 crore, with completion initially scheduled for December 2016.
However, implementation delays and several revisions pushed the estimated cost to Tk 4,268.32 crore, Moniruzzaman said.
The project was financed by the Bangladesh government, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the French development agency Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
By December 2024, around 97 per cent of the infrastructure work had been completed, while overall physical progress stood at 77.48 per cent. The project’s tenure expired that month and was not extended.
Although the dedicated BRT lanes were subsequently opened to general traffic, the planned bus service never began after two initiatives to procure buses failed.
In July 2025, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) rejected a proposal to raise the project cost to Tk 6,598 crore and extend its tenure until December 2029. It also ordered an investigation into the project’s design and feasibility study.
The government later considered four options: completing the BRT project, introducing bus services under a route-franchising system, converting the corridor into a toll-based expressway, or turning it into a conventional highway. It ultimately chose the last option.
A review team from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) had recommended abandoning plans to launch the BRT service, citing design flaws and limited capacity.
The team suggested using the existing infrastructure for general traffic instead of making further investments in the project.
In October 2025, the interim government also decided against launching BRT services on the route, citing the additional time and funding required.
The proposed conversion has drawn criticism from urban planners and civic organisations.
The Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) described the move as a setback for sustainable and inclusive public transport and called for reconsideration.
According to the BIP, the decision conflicts with recommendations in the Gazipur Transport Master Plan and Dhaka’s Revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP).
The institute warned that the move could prioritise private cars without adequately addressing public transport needs in Gazipur and Uttara, where residents have endured years of disruption due to construction.
The challenge now will be to make effective use of the existing infrastructure while improving traffic flow and road safety without compromising public transport access.