Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan on Sunday inaugurated an 18-kilometre stretch of the 48-kilometre Dhaka Bypass Road, marking a key step in its multimodal transport plan aimed at improving connectivity and reducing traffic congestion in the capital.
The adviser said the government is working to integrate road, rail, and waterways to ensure smooth and efficient movement of people and goods. “Land acquisition is costly. We must focus on utilising all modes of transport effectively,” he added.
The newly opened section, from Bhogra in Gazipur to Madanpur in Narayanganj, forms part of the larger Dhaka Bypass project being implemented under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Authorities said the remaining work on the 48-kilometre stretch is expected to be completed by June next year.
The project includes upgrading the Joydebpur-Debgram-Bhulta-Madanpur Road into a four-lane highway at an estimated cost of Tk3,500 crore under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Maintain (DBFOT) model. It connects major national highways, including Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet, Purbachal Expressway, Dhaka-Mymensingh, and Dhaka-Tangail routes.
Officials said the bypass will allow cargo vehicles to travel from Chattogram port to northern and western divisions such as Mymensingh, Rangpur, and Rajshahi without entering Dhaka city, cutting travel time and reducing congestion and accident risks in the capital.
Adviser Khan highlighted the importance of developing domestic engineering skills. He noted that while foreign experts are often brought in for road and railway projects, Bangladesh produces thousands of engineers each year who could take on these roles. He also stressed that curbing corruption could lower construction costs by 20–30%.
The inauguration was attended by Gazipur City Corporation Administrator Sharaf Uddin Chowdhury, Police Commissioner Dr Nazmul Karim Khan, Deputy Commissioner Nafisa Arefin, and senior project officials.