IN THE early hours of the morning, a young office worker in Uttara boards a CNG auto-rickshaw for what should be a simple 30-minute commute to Motijheel. Instead, the journey drags on for more than two hours as Dhaka grinds under the pressure of endless congestion. This is not an isolated inconvenience; it is a daily experience for millions and a visible marker of how deeply the city鈥檚 transport system is failing. Dhaka鈥檚 chronic traffic chaos is not merely a nuisance but an economic and social crisis, demanding not cosmetic fixes but a coherent transformation of the entire mobility ecosystem.
The reasons this crisis feels particularly acute now are rooted in Dhaka鈥檚 rapid and relentless urbanisation. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics shows that population density in the Dhaka Division has surged, with the capital remaining the primary destination for internal migration. This influx has pushed transport demand far beyond the city鈥檚 limited capacity. Only 7鈥�8 per cent of Dhaka鈥檚 land area is allocated to roads, a fraction of what comparable global megacities rely on. At the same time, transport infrastructure continues to expand in disjointed fragments: a metro rail line here, an elevated expressway there, a string of flyovers elsewhere. None of these elements yet form an integrated network. As structural engineer M Shamim Z Bosunia recently observed, without interconnected metro lines, particularly underground routes, these scattered projects will not solve the foundational mobility problem.
The economic implications of this fractured system are staggering. Traffic congestion is estimated to cost Dhaka Tk 550 billion every year. A BUET study places the daily losses at Tk 1.53 billion once wasted working hours, fuel costs, accidents, pavement damage and pollution are taken into account. More recent findings only deepen the concern. A mid-2025 Dhaka Tribune report shows that approximately 5 million work hours are lost annually, amounting to an economic loss of Tk 37,000 crore. Alongside this, traffic rule violations, chaotic competition for limited road space, illegal parking and the unchecked sprawl of street vendors add layers of disorder to an already burdened system. Dhaka鈥檚 draft strategic transport plan underscores another structural weakness: road density remains far below international benchmarks, meaning that no matter how many vehicles enter the city, there is simply not enough space to move them efficiently.
Behind these symptoms lie several persistent structural problems. Institutional fragmentation is perhaps the most damaging. Agencies responsible for roads, public transport, metro development and urban planning operate largely in isolation. The Updated Revised Strategic Transport Plan, prepared in 2025 by ADB and JICA, identifies this siloed system as a major cause of delays, cost overruns, and inconsistent outcomes. A second barrier is the absence of a truly integrated public transport network. Dhaka鈥檚 metro system remains limited, serving only a portion of the city. Without multiple interconnected lines, entire neighbourhoods remain poorly connected. Investment in walking, cycling and first- and last-mile facilities is also inadequate, further weakening the metro鈥檚 potential. Another challenge is the dominance of informal transport, rickshaws, CNGs and small vehicles, which, while essential for mobility, often operate without regulation. Their unstructured movement, alongside illegal parking and roadside encroachments, heightens congestion. Finally, capacity and funding constraints continue to slow progress. The Dhaka Elevated Expressway, for example, took over a decade to complete, reflecting a broader pattern of delays.
Though Dhaka鈥檚 situation has its own context, there are valuable lessons both from other global cities and from our own planning documents. Cities such as London, Stockholm and Singapore have demonstrated how congestion pricing can reduce unnecessary private-car travel and generate revenue for public transport. While Dhaka鈥檚 social and economic conditions differ, the underlying concept, that pricing can help manage demand, is relevant. Yet perhaps the most detailed guidance comes from Dhaka鈥檚 own URSTP. The plan outlines a future with six new metro lines, ring roads, underpasses, and safer infrastructure for walking and cycling. It also calls for the creation of a Dhaka Urban Transport Authority, a single institution with the legal and financial authority to coordinate all transport planning. If implemented, DUTA could finally break through the administrative fragmentation that has long stifled progress.
A system-wide transformation is possible if reforms are pursued with seriousness and long-term commitment. The establishment of DUTA would be the foundational step, giving the city a central authority to plan, regulate, and coordinate its entire transport ecosystem. Expanding the mass-transit network, with interconnected metro lines, built both above and below ground, must follow swiftly, using public-private partnerships only where contracts and oversight are strong and transparent. Informal transport, instead of being treated as a nuisance, needs to be organised into a regulated system with designated lanes, stands and flexible licensing tied to safety and service standards. Demand-management tools, including congestion pricing or peak-hour road-use charges, could help ease pressure on overburdened areas, supported by modern traffic-signal systems that use real-time detection and adaptive control. Finally, investment in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure is essential for creating a complete mobility chain 鈥� safe sidewalks, cycle lanes, shading, lighting and proper crossings would enable walking and cycling to become practical choices rather than last resorts. Long-term decentralisation is equally vital: strengthening secondary cities and regional economic hubs can gradually ease migration pressure on Dhaka.
Dhaka鈥檚 congestion crisis is not just about hours lost in traffic. It represents a loss of economic productivity, social opportunity, and quality of life that affects millions every day. Yet the path forward is clear. If the next government cycle anchors its transport vision in integrated planning, strengthened institutions, regulated informal mobility and smart demand-management measures, Dhaka can begin its transformation. With sustained investment and political will, the city has the opportunity to shift from a landscape of perpetual gridlock to one defined by efficiency, resilience, and livability. The misery of daily commutes need not define the capital鈥檚 future; with coordinated reforms, Dhaka can unlock the full potential of its people and economy.
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Mahmud Uz Zaman is an assistant professor of urban and rural planning discipline at Khulna University, specialising in sustainable transport and urban mobility in Bangladesh.
