CDA plans satellite towns in three upazilas to ease pressure on Ctg city 

Infographics: TBS

To reduce mounting population pressure on the port city of Chattogram and promote planned industrialisation, a proposal has been made to develop three satellite towns centred on the Anwara, Patiya, and Hathazari upazilas.

The proposal is part of a 25-year framework, "Chattogram Metropolitan Masterplan (2025–2050)," formulated by the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) to establish specialised industrial and commercial hubs in these upazilas to transform the city into a fully developed, modern and commercial capital.

As Bangladesh's primary hub for trade, commerce and industry, Chattogram has been experiencing rapid urbanisation, population growth and mounting infrastructure challenges. The masterplan seeks to address these issues through an integrated and forward-looking approach.

Project insiders say the CDA's strategic plan aligns with the development vision of the BNP's electoral manifesto for the 2026 national election. In particular, the emphasis on administrative decentralisation and the ambition to establish Chattogram as the country's true commercial capital closely match the proposal.

If implemented, the plan could support the elected government in transforming those commitments into reality.

A major focus of the masterplan is addressing the city's long-standing waterlogging problem. To ensure a modern drainage system, the plan sets a target to construct nearly 3.5 kilometres of new drainage channels by 2040. 

Besides, it proposes cleaning and rehabilitating around 125 kilometres of canals and nearly 594 kilometres of reinforced concrete drains to maintain uninterrupted water flow.

To modernise drainage management, the CDA has recommended integrating Internet of Things-based sensors and automated silt traps into the system. These technologies would enable real-time detection of blockages, allowing quicker response and maintenance. Officials believe such initiatives could reduce waterlogging largely while also helping maintain environmental balance.

Environmental protection has been given strong emphasis in the plan. 

All hills within the city area have been designated as "ecologically sensitive zones." Areas with slopes exceeding 30% are recommended to be declared "no development zones," where any form of construction would be strictly prohibited.

The masterplan also adopts a zero-tolerance policy against hill cutting and includes afforestation programmes using native tree species in degraded hill areas.

To improve transportation and logistics, especially for goods arriving from the southern bank of the Karnaphuli River, the plan proposes building two new bridges alongside the existing tunnel and the Kalurghat Bridge. One of the proposed bridges would connect directly to the Port Link Road, while the other would link Airport Road to Sheikh Mujib Road.

These connections are expected to facilitate smoother movement of cargo from key industrial zones such as the Korean Export Processing Zone, the Chinese EPZ in Anwara, and the upcoming Matarbari deep-sea port.

In addition, an "Anwara Action Area Plan" has been prepared to guide industrial and urban development around the proposed commercial EPZ in the upazila.

To improve governance and service delivery, the CDA has proposed dividing the city area into six strategic zones. Each zone will have its own administrative office, enabling residents to access services locally without travelling to central offices. This decentralised approach is expected to streamline approvals and enhance monitoring of development activities.

To address coordination gaps among various service providers, the plan also recommends forming an urban development coordination committee to oversee the implementation of development projects and ensure collaboration among stakeholders, promoting sustainable urban growth.

Disaster resilience is another key pillar of the masterplan. It places special emphasis on fire safety and earthquake risk mitigation, particularly in the context of increasing urban density. The plan proposes strict regulations requiring all new mid- and high-rise buildings to install fire safety systems and water reservoirs to handle emergencies effectively.

To face natural disasters like earthquakes, a scientific approach, the "liquefaction hazard map," has been developed based on geological analysis of the city to identify the most vulnerable areas.

In the future, this map will serve as a critical tool in granting construction permits and determining land use, thereby minimising disaster risks.

According to the CDA data, the masterplan project was approved on 6 May 2020, and work officially began in December 2021 after appointing a consultancy firm. 

Currently, the project has achieved around 85% physical progress and 59.65% financial progress. Of the total allocation of Tk 35.87 crore, approximately Tk 21.40 crore has been spent so far. The project is expected to be completed by June 2026.

Covering an area of 1,255 square kilometres under CDA jurisdiction, the masterplan incorporates advanced technologies for data collection and analysis. For the first time, drone surveys have been used alongside field studies to gather detailed information on population, building heights, land use, and infrastructure.

The collected data will be used to create a three-dimensional city map, which will play a vital role in modern urban planning. This map will provide a clear visual representation of building heights, land use patterns, infrastructure, and zoning boundaries, enabling more precise planning in areas such as traffic management, disaster response, and population density control.

When contacted, CDA's masterplan project director and Deputy Chief Urban Planner Md Abu Eisa Ansari told The Business Standard that the vastness of the project area makes it difficult to monitor development activities across both the city and remote upazilas.

"As a result, unplanned activities like filling water bodies and constructing buildings indiscriminately are increasing, which could pose serious challenges in disaster management in the future," he said.

He added that dividing the metropolitan area into six zones would allow residents to access services locally, reducing the need to travel long distances for approvals. This would also strengthen oversight of construction activities.

Overall, he believes that decentralisation and planned development will not only reduce environmental degradation but also lower disaster risks and ease the long-standing sufferings of city dwellers.