Call for a ‘Transport Revolution’ in Bangladesh

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Planners Urge Shift from Fuel-Dependent Vehicles to Sustainable Mobility

By Rita Bhowmick (Dhaka Bureau) 
In a decisive call for climate action and economic resilience, the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) has urged the government to implement a radical overhaul of the nation’s transportation and communication systems. At a press conference held on Saturday, April 25, at the Planners’ Tower in Dhaka, experts warned that the country’s growing dependence on fossil-fuel-powered private vehicles poses a direct threat to both national energy security and environmental sustainability.
The Human and Environmental Cost of Motorization
The press conference, titled ‘Energy Security and Sustainable Transport and Communication,’ highlighted the urgent need to prioritize public transit, rail, and waterways over carbon-intensive private cars and motorcycles.
Professor Dr. Mu. Mosleh Uddin Hasan, General Secretary of BIP, presented a startling comparison to underline the resource inefficiency of modern cars. ‘The amount of metal used to manufacture a single motor vehicle could produce approximately 150 bicycles,’ he noted, emphasizing that the transport sector is the second-largest contributor to carbon emissions in the country, trailing only the power generation sector.
Ending the ‘Deep Hole’ of Fossil Fuel Dependency
BIP President Dr. Muhammad Ariful Islam expressed concern over the alarming rise in private vehicle use. He argued that the current trajectory is pushing Bangladesh into a cycle of import-dependent energy crises.
‘To achieve self-reliance and strengthen energy security, we must rapidly shift our focus to renewable energy, such as solar, hydro, and waste-to-energy projects,’ Dr. Islam stated. He stressed that a pedestrian-friendly and cycle-oriented environment is not just an option but a necessity to liberate the economy from the volatility of global oil markets.
A 30-Point Roadmap for Change
The BIP presented a comprehensive 30-point proposal aimed at transforming the urban and national landscape. Key recommendations include:

Promoting Cycling and Walking: Launching a massive ‘Cycle Sharing Project’ starting with 100,000 bicycles in Dhaka’s 90 wards, and ensuring dedicated spaces for pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles in road designs.
Public Transit Reform: Immediate activation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems and the introduction of electric buses to replace fossil-fuel models.
Fiscal Disincentives: Increasing taxes on private cars and motorcycles while reducing duties on public transport and bicycle parts to fund a newly proposed National Urban Transport Fund.
Institutional Shift: Moving away from a focus on building road infrastructure toward ‘Mobility Management and Accessibility Improvement.
Education and Neighborhood Planning: Establishing ‘School Districts’ to ensure children can study near their homes, reducing the need for long commutes, and banning parking within 50 meters of school gates.

The Legacy of Misalignments 
The speakers also pointed out historical failures in planning. Syeda Monira Akhter Khatun, a senior fellow member of BIP, noted that crucial guidelines from the 1992 Dhaka Integrated Transport Study were never integrated into the city’s structure plans. This lack of coordination, she argued, is why the country’s transport system becomes unstable whenever a global oil crisis occurs.
A Vision for a ‘Smart and Resilient’ Bangladesh
The BIP concluded that energy security is inseparable from integrated spatial planning. By moving toward a multi-modal transport system- where rail and waterways handle the bulk of inter-city movement and urban centers are designed for walking and cycling- Bangladesh can pave the way for a ‘Planned, Smart, and Climate-Resilient’ future.
For Pressenza, this movement in Bangladesh represents a vital step toward Economic Non-violence: a transition in which resources are shared equitably, and the environment is protected from the violence of industrial pollution and unsustainable consumption.
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The Author:
Rita Bhowmick: Senior journalist and Staff Correspondent, Pressenza- Dhaka Bureau.

Pressenza IPA

 

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