Ctg Correspondent
The Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) has emphasised coordinated measures to address the city’s longstanding traffic congestion, pollution, unplanned urbanisation, encroachment on footpaths and inadequate parking facilities.
The authority proposed decentralising major public and private service institutions from central areas to peripheral locations, introducing modern public transport, constructing multi-storey parking facilities and regulating unauthorised commercial activities in residential areas.
The proposals came at a coordination meeting held at the CDA office last Thursday, chaired by CDA Chairman Engineer Belayet Hossain. Representatives of 20 hospitals and diagnostic centres, four schools and two supermarkets inspected by the CDA attended the meeting, along with representatives of Bangladesh Police, Fire Service and Civil Defence, the Directorate General of Health Services, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) and other agencies.
Representatives of hospitals and diagnostic centres said they had taken initiatives following CDA inspections to expand parking facilities, improve drop-off bays and strengthen parking management. Some institutions are also taking steps to purchase or rent additional spaces.
School representatives said they were reorganising class schedules to reduce congestion and some had taken initiatives to introduce dedicated bus services for students. They also called for footbridges to ensure safe road crossings.
Government service agencies stressed that temporary measures alone would not provide a lasting solution. They proposed gradually relocating important public and private institutions from central areas to peripheral locations to reduce the concentration of people and vehicles.
The meeting also emphasised developing modern kitchen markets, multi-storey or high-rise parking facilities and a modern public transport system. Participants said reducing dependence on private vehicles would be difficult without well-planned public transport connecting key areas with residential neighbourhoods.
The meeting stressed compliance with approved land use and building use, particularly in residential areas where unauthorised commercial establishments, hospitals and other high-footfall facilities are putting pressure on roads and parking spaces.
Participants also said simply widening roads or constructing new ones would not be enough to resolve traffic congestion. Parking, public transport, footpaths, traffic management, building use and urban planning need to be addressed together, they said.
CDA Chairman Engineer Belayet Hossain said all relevant stakeholders must work in a coordinated manner to address the city’s longstanding problems.
“Under the directives of Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr Tarique Rahman, I am working to build a city that is free from traffic congestion and pollution, aesthetically pleasing and liveable. I am not someone who will stop. As long as I remain in this position, I will continue working to achieve this objective,” he said.
He said the long-term solution lay in implementing the CDA-prepared Master Plan (2025–50), while short- and medium-term solutions were also being explored.
“We have already seen noticeable progress. If we work together, it will certainly be possible to resolve these problems,” he added.
Representatives of Lancet Hospital, Al-Hidayah International School, Royal Hospital, National Hospital, Parkview Hospital, Max Hospital, CSCR, Ibn Sina Hospital, Popular Diagnostic Centre, Chattogram Grammar School, Chattogram Ideal School and Utsab Super Market, among other institutions, spoke at the meeting.
Among the government representatives present were Chattogram Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (State) A.B. Siddique; Deputy Director of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Md Abdus Salam; CDA Board Member and environmental architect Jerina Hossain; Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence, Chattogram Division, Md Toufiqul Islam Bhuiyan; and Divisional Director (Health) Dr Sheikh Fazle Rabbi.
Representing the CDA were Chief Engineer Ahmed Anwarul Nazrul, Member (Engineering and Planning) Md Jamilur Rahman, and Member (Finance and Administration) Mohammad Nurullah Nuri. #EK
