DSCC, DNCC bosses pledge visible improvement in Dhaka traffic in a month
After a high-stakes marathon meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the administrators of Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations have made a bold promise: visible improvements in the capital's notorious traffic within just one month!
The two city chiefs have rolled out a coordinated, step-by-step action plan, directly ordered by the prime minister, to finally tackle Dhaka's chaotic gridlock.
The high-level meeting at the Cabinet Division on Tuesday focused on modernising traffic management, regulating auto-rickshaws, clearing sidewalks and deploying locally developed technology for quick results.
Speaking after the meeting, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md Abdus Salam said responsibilities have been divided between agencies for immediate and next-phase actions.
“We have identified what can be done right away and what comes next. Based on that, we will move quickly in coordination with the police,” he said.
He acknowledged that Dhaka’s traffic system has long been stagnant but said the prime minister has now “pinpointed specific problem areas” that must be addressed urgently.
“Both the police and city corporations placed their concerns on the table, and we had detailed discussions on those,” he said.
Salam expressed optimism that coordinated action could bring noticeable relief within weeks. “Within the next month, we will try to implement as much as possible so that congestion is reduced and a more functional traffic system begins to take shape.”
A key focus, he said, is reducing reliance on foreign solutions. “The prime minister has stressed the use of local technology – leveraging our own engineers, especially from BUET.”
On the sensitive issue of auto-rickshaws, Salam indicated a balanced approach. “They cannot simply be removed. Livelihoods are involved. We will engage with their associations to gradually bring them under discipline.”
Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan said the three-hour meeting laid out a clear roadmap with deadlines.
“The prime minister has instructed us to take phased steps – whether it’s easing congestion, managing auto-rickshaws or clearing sidewalks. We now have a timeline to act,” he said.
Shafiqul added that initial decisions on local interventions will be taken within a week. “We will coordinate with the city corporations, RAJUK and the police, finalise the work plan and report progress to the prime minister next month.”
With pressure mounting over daily gridlock, the government’s one-month target is now set to be closely watched by Dhaka residents desperate for smoother roads.