Dhaka unveils 2045 transport plan

 
The Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) has unveiled an ambitious multimodal transport master plan targeting a major overhaul of the capital's transport system by 2045, aiming to ease chronic traffic congestion and reduce dependence on private vehicles.

The plan proposes an integrated public transport network featuring eight metro rail (MRT) lines, two Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors, three ring roads, six expressways, 21 transport hubs and a fleet of 400 electric buses.

The roadmap was presented at a high-level meeting on the "Multimodal Transport Plan for Dhaka Metropolitan Area" held at the DTCA headquarters on Tuesday. The meeting was chaired by DTCA Executive Director (Secretary) Mohammad Mosiur Rahman and attended by senior government officials, lawmakers and representatives of key transport and law enforcement agencies.

Among those present were Bijon Kanti Sarkar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister with the status of State Minister for Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Ethnic Minority Affairs; MP Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas; Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister A.B.M. Abdus Sattar; Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division Dr Mohammad Ziaul Haque; Secretary of the Bridges Division and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority Mohammad Abdur Rouf; and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed.

Under the Strategic Transport Plan (STP) 2026-2045, Dhaka's metro rail network will expand from the existing 19.8 kilometres to 268.5 kilometres by 2045. The authority also plans to undertake pre-feasibility studies for nearly 79.4 kilometres of proposed monorail corridors to strengthen the city's future mass transit system.

DTCA officials said the share of public transport in daily commuting has fallen sharply from 22.8 percent in 2014 to just 8.9 percent in 2023, while the use of motorcycles and private vehicles has increased significantly. They said the multimodal strategy is designed to reverse this trend by providing reliable, integrated and passenger-friendly transport services.

The meeting was informed that more than 1.937 million commuters are currently using the "One Card for All Transport" or Rapid Pass system, with metro rail users making around seven million smart-card transactions every month. As of June 2026, nearly two-thirds of metro passengers were using Rapid Pass or MRT Pass for fare payment.

DTCA also announced that preparations are underway to introduce 400 electric buses under a World Bank-supported project to modernise Dhaka's bus network, improve service quality and reduce carbon emissions.

The meeting reviewed progress on the establishment of multimodal transport hubs at Gabtoli, Kamalapur and Airport, implementation of the bus route rationalisation programme and the phased relocation of the capital's four inter-district bus terminals outside the city. Participants stressed the need for stronger institutional coordination to ensure the timely implementation of the 2045 transport master plan and build a safer, smarter and more sustainable transport system for Greater Dhaka.