Dhaka, Sept 15 (V7N) – Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today said the government has strengthened coordination among ministries, departments and service agencies to ensure integrated development of Dhaka and its adjoining areas and minimise public suffering caused by frequent road excavation, stating that there should be no repeated digging of the same road.
"We want all development activities in Dhaka and its adjoining areas to be carried out in a coordinated manner. There should be no repeated digging of the same road," he said while speaking to journalists after chairing a coordination meeting on preventing traffic congestion caused by mega projects in Dhaka at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The minister said the initiative would help save government money and time while reducing inconvenience to city dwellers. Representatives of MRT, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, the Roads and Highways Department, city corporations, WASA, DESA, Bangladesh Railway, BRT, DTCA, and electricity and gas agencies are involved in the coordination process.
The minister said coordination meetings would be held every 15 days, while focal points and subcommittees had been formed to ensure swift communication among the agencies concerned. Utility shifting for metro rail construction was being carried out in coordination with traffic authorities, while an AI-based traffic management system had been introduced to improve road discipline and ease congestion.
The government is also finalising land acquisition and overall plans to relocate major bus terminals, including those at Mohakhali and Fulbaria, outside the city. The minister said authorities were also considering a long-term system of dedicated, covered utility corridors to prevent repeated road excavation for utility works.
On battery-run autorickshaws, he said a policy had been formulated to regulate the movement of small three-wheelers and battery-operated vehicles on major roads. Joint drives are also continuing to disconnect illegal charging points operating through unauthorised electricity connections.
Regarding the proposed local government election schedule, he said the Election Commission's plan was only tentative and did not constitute a final decision. He said an inter-ministerial meeting involving secretaries of different ministries would be held on September 17, and the EC would prepare the subsequent election schedule based on the opinions received at the meeting.
On the crude bomb blast in front of the High Court following the International Crimes Tribunal's verdict sentencing seven people to death, the home minister said those involved had already been identified through an analysis of CCTV footage. "Legal action is being taken after proper investigation," he said.
The minister also said law enforcement agencies were maintaining heightened vigilance against sporadic processions and other activities by banned organisations and had taken necessary measures to maintain law and order.
The coordination meeting is part of the government's broader efforts to address Dhaka's chronic traffic congestion, which has been exacerbated by ongoing mega projects including the Metro Rail, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and various road and utility development works. The government has previously announced plans to shift major bus terminals outside the city and introduce AI-based traffic management systems to improve traffic flow.
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