The dream was clear: a dedicated, safe path for cyclists in Dhaka. Inaugurated in December 2020, the city’s second bicycle lane stretched from the Lalmatia Aarong intersection to Khamarbari. It was a hopeful sign, marked brightly in green with clear cycle symbols, suggesting a future with safer, more sustainable urban mobility.
Just four years later, that hope is barely visible. The once vibrant green markings have faded to near invisibility. The path meant for bicycles has been utterly forgotten, repurposed as an unscripted parking lot.
It is now clogged with illegally parked vehicles. You’ll find private cars, buses even trucks sometimes from nearby government offices or private corporations. A growing cluster of roadside food carts has also taken over the space. Adding to the erasure, a significant segment of the route is now physically blocked. The stalled construction of an underground tunnel connecting the NAM flats to the National Parliament has halted progress since August 2024, closing off the lane.
The result is a return to danger for the very commuters the project aimed to protect. With the lane effectively gone and no one enforcing its original purpose, cyclists must now risk the main road. They navigate a chaotic mix of buses, trucks, motorcycles and private cars, facing significant risk daily.
What started as an encouragement for green commuting has dissolved into a neglected corridor. The story of the forgotten bike lane is more than just a tale of faded paint. It raises serious questions about the sustainability and accountability of Dhaka’s efforts to improve urban mobility. The city launched a promising initiative. It failed to sustain it, leaving cyclists vulnerable and the path abandoned.
Unless urgent action is taken, the story of Dhaka’s green lane will repeat itself across the city. The faded stripe is not just a mark on asphalt; it reflects neglect, a cautionary tale of promises left unfulfilled. For the city to truly embrace sustainable mobility, it must protect the spaces it creates, or risk turning every good initiative into another forgotten lane.
