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A high-level government delegation on Wednesday inspected several proposed locations for relocating Dhaka’s major bus terminals and establishing temporary bus depots, marking a significant step in the government’s efforts to reduce chronic traffic congestion and modernise the capital’s public transport system.
The field visit follows a directive issued by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman during a high-level meeting on June 15 at the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat, where he instructed the authorities to expedite the relocation of Dhaka’s four major inter-district bus terminals to the city’s outskirts.
According to BNP Media Cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan, the inspection began around 3:00pm with officials visiting Sector 19 of Purbachal, one of the proposed sites for future transport infrastructure.
The delegation then travelled to Diabari in Uttara before heading to Chunkutia in Keraniganj, which has been identified as the proposed relocation site for the Gabtoli Bus Terminal.
The inspection team also visited several other potential locations, including the Tegharia Underpass area opposite the jail at Baghair, Hasnabad (Ikuria)-Kanchpur and Fulbaria, to assess their suitability for bus terminals and supporting transport facilities.
Officials evaluated land availability, road connectivity, access to highways and the feasibility of developing modern terminal infrastructure at the proposed sites.
The relocation initiative is part of a broader government strategy to reduce the entry of long-distance buses into the city’s core, ease traffic pressure on major roads, improve passenger movement and create a more efficient and organised public transport network.
Urban planners have long argued that shifting inter-district bus terminals to the outskirts of Dhaka would help reduce congestion, improve traffic flow and facilitate better integration with future mass transit systems.
Among those present during the inspection were Pabna-5 lawmaker and transport leader Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Senior Secretary of the Home Ministry Manzur Morshed Chowdhury, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Chairman Engineer Md Riazul Islam, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, Dhaka Superintendent of Police Shamima Pervin, Dhaka Bus Owners’ Association General Secretary Saiful Alam and Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation General Secretary Humayun Kabir Khan.
The government is expected to finalise the proposed sites after reviewing the inspection findings and consulting relevant agencies before moving ahead with the relocation plan.
