Bangladesh cancels Dhaka-Gazipur BRT project

The Bangladesh government has officially decided to cancel the Dhaka-Gazipur Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. The project, which was intended to span approximately 20 kilometers from the capital's airport to Shibbari in Gazipur, had been under development for 14 years.

Due to long-standing delays, irregularities, and public suffering, the government will instead transform the route into a modern six-lane highway. Experts from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) noted that by retaining 96 percent of the existing infrastructure, the state can minimize financial losses while avoiding the continued inefficiency of a fragmented transit system.

While experts have welcomed the decision to prevent further public hardship, the cancellation of the country's first mega BRT project has raised questions regarding the transparency and long-term planning of large-scale infrastructure developments.