Dhaka Elevated Expressway set for delay as environmental protests halt work

Highlights

• Protests focus on tree cutting in Panthakunja Park and damage to Hatirjheel's water bodies
• Project management authorities have applied for a deadline extension from June 2025 to December 2026
• Experts highlight negative impact of delays on foreign investments
• They warn government may face compensation claims under PPP model

The construction of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway has been halted for around three months due to protests by environmental activists, potentially delaying its completion.

The project management authorities have applied to extend the deadline from June 2025 to December 2026.

Environmentalists are protesting the construction at Panthakunja Park and Hatirjheel, claiming it harms the environment by damaging water bodies in Hatirjheel and cutting down trees in Panthakunja Park.

The Hatirjheel-Panthakunja Park-Palashi ramp is part of the 46.73km project – 19.73 km of the expressway and 27km of ramps – which will connect Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with Kutubkhali on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.

The controversy over the expressway began at its inception when environmentalists criticised the decision to build through Panthakunja Park, a city green space.

Despite opposition, the previous government continued the project as planned. However, after the change of government, environmental activists intensified protests, organising sit-ins and human chains, which led to the work stoppage.

Misbahul Mokar Rabin, project coordinator (Investor Part) of the expressway, told The Business Standard, "We've been sending letters to the government on resolving the issue, but there has been no progress."

He said the government is responsible for handing over land and that the investor is facing losses due to rising time value and dollar rates.

He emphasised that the project is not harmful to the environment, saying, "Environmentalists are stopping work in the name of protection, but our project will not harm the environment. Once completed, we will reconstruct the park with a more beautiful landscape design."

Experts warn of negative consequences from work halt

Transport expert Md Shamsul Hoque said, "Our people lack patience. Securing PPP projects requires struggles here, whereas other countries have achieved significant development through this model.

"This is a public-private partnership project, so scrapping it isn't easy – it would only be possible if it were a civil project."

Shamsul warned that in a PPP model, foreign investments are involved and agreements carry serious commitments with sovereign guarantees. If investors incur losses, they can file cases abroad and the government would be forced to compensate.

He emphasised that urbanisation is a continuous process, and a city's landscape naturally evolves. Cities globally progress in the same way, so emotional responses in the guise of environmental protection are not justified. Rather than halting the project, activists should push for more green spaces in the city.

In response to a query, Misbahul Mokar Rabin said the investor is entitled to compensation for the losses incurred, which would be adjusted during the toll concession period.

The concession period for the expressway is 25 years, with the companies responsible for construction, operation, maintenance and toll collection before handing it over to the government. As a result, the concession period may be extended.

Regarding project completion, Rabin said, "It is practically impossible to complete the project by June 2025. We cannot predict when work will resume, as the issue remains unresolved.

"We have applied to extend the timeline to December 2026."

The project has achieved 75.25% progress so far, with the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) serving as the implementing agency.

BBA Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rauf said, "The country's environment must be protected while development continues. We will work to coordinate these issues, listen to concerns and explore solutions."

This isn't the first work stoppage. The project was previously stalled for about 10 months starting in February 2024 due to legal disputes among the three shareholders.

The project, costing Tk8,940.18 crore, went underway on 1 January 2020. Meanwhile, the section from Kawla to Tejgaon opened for vehicular movement on 3 September 2023, while the Karwan Bazar (FDC) section opened on 20 March 2024.

Toll hike proposed

Amid the work halt, the Dhaka Elevated Expressway management has proposed increasing toll charges by Tk20 for each vehicle.

Currently, toll rates are Tk80 for Category 1 vehicles (car, sedan, microbus) and Tk160 for Category 2 vehicles (bus, truck). The authority has requested the government to raise the tolls to Tk100 and Tk180, respectively.

Regarding the proposal, the secretary said, "If the increase is necessary, we'll discuss it logically and determine how much it should be raised."

He added, "We must consider the interests of commuters and expressway users."

Toll plaza relocated to ease traffic

The authorities have relocated the toll plaza from the Bijoy Sarani ramp entry point to inside the expressway to improve traffic flow.

Abdur Rauf said, "We are still facing some traffic pressure as vehicles from different routes enter through the Bijoy Sarani ramp. Once the project is completed and all ramps are open, vehicles will use their nearest ramp, significantly reducing pressure on individual ramps."