PM Tarique Rahman chairs fresh push to tame Dhaka’s transport chaos

The government has begun another high-level push to bring order to Dhaka’s chaotic transport system, with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman chairing a meeting Thursday (October 8) on public transport management, road safety and ways to ease the capital’s chronic congestion.

The meeting began at the Cabinet Division of the Bangladesh Secretariat, bringing together senior ministers, secretaries and officials from agencies responsible for transport, local government and traffic management.

The discussions are focusing on how to make Dhaka’s public transport system more organised, reduce traffic congestion and improve safety on the city’s roads. Participants are also reviewing existing weaknesses in the transport network and considering measures to address longstanding coordination and management problems.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam, State Minister Habibur Rashid and Local Government State Minister Mir Shahe Alam attended the meeting. Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary A B M Abdus Sattar, Local Government Division Secretary Md Shahidul Hasan and other senior officials were also present there.

Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority Executive Director Mohammad Mashiur Rahman, Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Dr Mohammad Ziaul Haque and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed were among the officials representing key agencies involved in the city’s transport and traffic management.

The latest meeting comes after a series of discussions led by the prime minister on Dhaka’s traffic crisis and transport sector. Previous meetings have examined measures including restructuring bus terminals, modernising traffic management through technology and strengthening coordination among government agencies.

The government has also recently pursued measures involving bus-terminal reorganisation, electronic toll collection and other traffic-management initiatives as part of a broader effort to ease congestion in the capital.

Thursday’s meeting is expected to produce further directions on improving public transport, restoring discipline on the roads and strengthening passenger safety as the government seeks a more coordinated approach to Dhaka’s long-running transport crisis.