Gazipur Representatives Demand Transparent Review of BRT Project, Propose Metro Rail and Elevated Expressway as Alternatives
Representatives and prominent figures from Gazipur have demanded a transparent evaluation of the future of the Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, project, which was taken up to ease traffic congestion. They have also demanded that the reasons for any decision to cancel the project be made public and that allegations of irregularities and corruption surrounding it be investigated.
At the same time, they called for an effective decision after examining whether the project can still be launched. Extending the elevated expressway and the metro rail to Gazipur was proposed as an alternative during the discussion.
After 14 years of suffering around the BRT project, the speakers said, it is essential to ensure fast, affordable and effective public transport for the people of Gazipur. If the project cannot be implemented, they said, the government needs a clear plan for alternative transport.
The demands and proposals came on Saturday at a roundtable titled “Visible Problems, Boundless Possibilities of Gazipur,” organised by the Dhaka-based Gazipur Journalists Forum at the National Press Club.
AKM Fazlul Haque Milon, the member of parliament for Gazipur-5, said there had been questions about the planning and implementation of the BRT project from the very beginning. Although BRT systems exist in various countries, he said, local realities should have been considered when taking up such a project in a densely populated area like Gazipur.
He said there is no region of Bangladesh whose people do not live in Gazipur. A master plan for the development of this populous district must be drawn up taking its population into account, he added.
Md Mojibur Rahman, the member of parliament for Gazipur-1, said the BRT project was taken up to reduce congestion, but whether it has solved the problem needs to be reviewed. In his view, a flyover connection from Uttara towards Kaliganj, Mymensingh and Joydebpur could have eased vehicle movement. He also noted that multiple dividers placed in the middle of the road have narrowed the space for traffic.
Salah Uddin Ayubi, the member of parliament for Gazipur-4, said it must be made clear what measures will be taken instead of the BRT project. He demanded lower bus fares and the extension of the elevated expressway to Gazipur.
SM Rafiqul Islam Bachchu, the member of parliament for Gazipur-3, said Gazipur's current condition is deeply endangered. Industry has grown there without protecting the environment, he said, and people from every region of the country live in the district. Planning must therefore consider the next 100 years, he warned, otherwise Gazipur may one day become unfit for living.
Selina Sultana Nishita, a member of parliament from a reserved women's seat, said every government must be given some time to do good work. The BNP government should be given that time as well, she said, and only then will the country and the nation develop.
The keynote paper presented at the meeting highlighted how industrial waste and unplanned factories have damaged Gazipur's environment. It recommended bringing discipline to industrial operations and building an effective waste management system to protect the environment.
Problems raised from across the district's five parliamentary constituencies included traffic congestion, waterlogging, drugs, teen gangs, mugging, waste dumped on roads, an ineffective railway station, encroachment on forest land and the filling of farmland. Speakers stressed the need for coordinated action by the agencies concerned. Additional Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police Mohammad Taherul Haque Chowhan said police are more active than before in maintaining law and order in Gazipur. Salah Uddin Ayubi also called police reform essential to eliminating drugs and proposed building a park in Joydebpur.
The meeting was chaired by Faisal Alam, president of the Dhaka-based Gazipur Journalists Forum, and conducted by its general secretary Rashedul Haque. The keynote paper was presented by the forum's organising secretary Faisal Khan. Senior vice-president Ataur Rahman, office secretary SM Nur Mohammad, communications secretary Sabbir Ahmed and other senior members also spoke. The meeting called for planned urbanisation, environmental protection, congestion relief and effective steps to reduce public suffering so that Gazipur's development potential can be realised. What remains to be seen is what decision the government announces on evaluating the BRT project and on an alternative plan.
