The government’s decision to relocate inter-district bus terminals outside Dhaka city is a timely and welcome initiative. Given the capital’s worsening traffic congestion and the urgent need to modernise its transport system, moving long-distance bus operations away from the city centre could bring significant relief to Dhaka’s already overburdened roads. However, the success of this initiative will depend not merely on the decision itself but on how quickly and effectively it is implemented.
Senior officials of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) have already visited potential sites at the Jhilmil Residential Project in Keraniganj and in Purbachal. The plan to establish a permanent bus terminal in Keraniganj for buses serving 19 southern districts is particularly encouraging. The proposed acquisition of around 75 acres of land near the RAB-10 office provides a concrete foundation for the project.
Equally important is the decision to make temporary arrangements at the Jhilmil project area until the permanent terminal is constructed. RAJUK has reportedly been asked to implement this arrangement within four months. This deadline must be treated seriously. Dhaka can no longer afford to wait years for measures that have already been identified as essential for improving its traffic situation.
Our concern, however, arises from our past experience. We have witnessed numerous well-intentioned government decisions and development plans that ultimately became victims of bureaucratic complications, administrative delays and institutional inertia. There is a genuine risk that the bus-terminal relocation initiative could suffer a similar fate unless the highest level of government maintains close oversight of its implementation.
The transport sector is one of the most important sectors of the economy, but it has also long been plagued by irregularities and vested interests. The extensive use of cash transactions and weak accountability creates opportunities for corruption and allows influential groups to benefit from the existing system. Any reform that threatens these interests may face resistance, either openly or through deliberate delays and procedural complications.
Therefore, the government must anticipate such obstacles rather than react to them after they emerge. The Prime Minister and the relevant ministries and agencies should establish clear responsibilities, fixed deadlines and a transparent monitoring mechanism for the entire relocation process. There should be no unnecessary repetition of surveys, approvals or administrative procedures. Coordination among DMP, RAJUK, the Roads and Highways authorities and other relevant agencies is essential.
Relocating bus terminals alone will not solve Dhaka’s traffic crisis. It must be accompanied by better public transport planning, improved road management, enforcement of traffic rules and the development of an integrated metropolitan transport system. Nevertheless, removing inter-district bus operations and related workshops from congested parts of the city would be an important step in the right direction.
The government deserves appreciation for taking this initiative. But a good decision is meaningful only when it is translated into action. The sooner the bus terminals are relocated, the sooner Dhaka’s traffic system can begin to benefit. The authorities must therefore act with urgency, transparency and determination—and ensure that this important reform does not become another good decision lost in bureaucratic delay.
