For over a decade, millions of commuters along the Dhaka-Gazipur corridor endured nightmarish traffic, choking dust, and cratered roads – all in the name of a promised rapid transit system that never came.
The 20.5-kilometre BRT Line-3 project, launched in 2012 with great fanfare, was supposed to revolutionise public transport between Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and Shib Bari in Gazipur. Instead, it has become a staggering monument to mismanagement.
Despite 97 per cent construction completion and an expenditure of approximately Tk3,000 crore, not a single passenger has ever boarded a BRT bus. Fifteen of the planned 25 stations stand today as hollow shells – their escalators frozen, elevators non-functional, glass panels shattered, and railings rusting.
After dark, these stations and footbridges are eerily empty, transforming into shelters for the homeless and hideouts for drug users. Poor lighting, a lack of security patrols and little maintenance have made many areas feel unsafe for pedestrians.
Broken glass, damaged railings, and poor lighting have turned these infrastructure projects into no-go zones, raising further safety concern.
The government has now decided in principle to scrap the project entirely, considering conversion of the dedicated corridor into a regular highway or toll road, a final blow to the hopes of countless commuters.
After 14 years of construction, business disruption, and upended daily lives, the question remains: What has the country truly gained? The Dhaka-Gazipur BRT project stands not just as an unfinished venture, but as a cautionary tale of poor planning and a failure of governance, altogether a silent reminder of a broken promise.
