Tk14,874cr projects lined up for Ctg development

The Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) has taken up 10 development projects involving Tk14,874.39 crore to address housing shortages, improve transport and support planned urban expansion in Chattogram.

Six transport projects aim to ease congestion and improve connectivity, while two housing projects target middle-income groups and two urban planning initiatives seek to reduce pressure on the city centre.

The projects are now at different stages of feasibility studies, development project proposal (DPP) preparation, funding approval and ministry-level scrutiny, according to officials.

CDA said the projects, if implemented, would bring major changes to the city's infrastructure, transport system, coastal protection, housing sector and commercial capacity.

According to the authority, projects go through feasibility studies before DPPs are prepared and sent to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works. These are then reviewed by the ministry, forwarded to the finance ministry for clearance and later placed before the Planning Commission and Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for approval.

Infograph: TBS

CDA Chairman Engineer Md Noorul Karim told TBS the proposed projects would add "a new dimension" to urban life in Chattogram.

"These projects will play an important role in building a liveable and quality city," he said.

He said the authority was regularly following up with relevant ministries.

"Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury has also inquired about the projects and provided directions. I am hopeful about their approval," he added.

The 10 projects include six focused on transport and connectivity, two on housing, and two on urban planning and environmental development.

Transport and connectivity

The second phase of the Chattogram City Outer Ring Road is among the largest projects, with a proposed cost of Tk2,717.47 crore.

The project includes construction from Middle Halishahar to Fouzdarhat and coastal protection structures. It features a 10.69km embankment-cum-road, link roads, service roads and a flyover, along with supporting infrastructure such as parking facilities and market relocation.

CDA said the project would improve connectivity between the Dhaka-Chattogram route, the Karnaphuli tunnel-Cox's Bazar corridor and the port, and help protect coastal areas from natural disasters.

The project is currently awaiting ministry-level review and has been included in the ADP green list.

Another major proposal is the North-South-1 road linking Bayezid Bostami Link Road and Ambagan Road, with a cost of Tk1,937.33 crore.

The nearly 4km road will be constructed on around 25.5 acres of land, with the project period set from July 2026 to December 2029. CDA said it was taken up due to the shortage of north-south connections in the city.

The project has been sent to the ministry, while financing remains under process. It is included in the list of unapproved new projects under the 2025-26 ADP.

The Mehedibagh Road expansion project, costing Tk396.05 crore, aims to widen narrow sections of the inner circular road network. The project period is set from July 2026 to December 2029.

CDA said the project would help ease congestion in central areas. The feasibility study has been completed and the DPP sent for approval.

Another project involves expansion of Kazi Nazrul Islam Road from Firingi Bazar to Sadarghat, with a cost of Tk202.26 crore and a project period from July 2026 to June 2029.

The project aims to improve connectivity with the port area and reduce congestion at key intersections, according to CDA.

CDA has also proposed a Tk2,024.17 crore project to build a flyover at Oxygen junction and develop the road up to Quaish. The project period is set from July 2026 to June 2030. 

The plan includes widening about 4.8km of road to improve movement with northern Chattogram. CDA said the existing road does not meet masterplan standards.

Another Tk885.89 crore project covers expansion of three key roads within the inner circular network, with a project period from July 2026 to June 2029.

The project will cover Kazir Dewri-Goni Bakery Road, Love Lane-Cheragi Pahar and Buddhist Temple-Cinema Palace Road, totalling about 3km.

Housing projects

To address housing demand, CDA has proposed two projects targeting middle-income groups.

The Bay Pearl Housing Project (Phase 1) in Patenga, costing Tk346.59 crore, will develop residential plots on 19.55 acres of land. The project period is set from July 2026 to June 2029.

The feasibility study has been completed and the DPP sent to the ministry.

Another project near Bayezid Link Road, with a cost of Tk1,825.19 crore, will develop residential plots on about 113.89 acres. The project will also run from July 2026 to June 2029.

CDA said the feasibility study is under way and the DPP will be prepared after completion.

Urban planning and expansion

The largest proposal is the development of a new township in Fateyabad, with a cost of Tk4,534.44 crore.

The project will run from July 2026 to June 2031 and aims to build a planned urban area on around 354 acres, with provision for housing for about 500,000 people.

CDA said the project is intended to reduce pressure on the city centre and support planned urban growth, along with environmental measures such as water bodies and hill conservation.

Another initiative involves preparation of a masterplan for the reuse of around 3,100 acres of recovered khas land in Jungle Salimpur in Sitakunda.

The Tk5 crore project, scheduled from July 2026 to June 2028, includes survey work, structural design and feasibility studies. The feasibility study has been completed and the DPP sent to the ministry.

Funding issue

CDA Chairman Noorul Karim said some projects had earlier required CDA to bear up to 40% of the cost, which was not feasible given its financial capacity.

"CDA's own revenue generation scope is limited, and the organisation pays around Tk6 crore to Tk7 crore to the government each year," he said.

He added that the projects would need to be implemented through government financing, although CDA could bear up to 20% of costs in some cases.

The proposed projects together represent one of the largest planned development pushes for Chattogram, pending approval and funding.