Dhaka Circular Waterway Project Faces Uncertain Future After 122 Crore Taka Expenditure and Service Failure
Photo Collected
The Bangladeshi government is renewing its initiative to revitalize the circular waterway surrounding Dhaka, a project that has historically faced significant financial failure. Despite a total investment of approximately 1.22 billion BDT, the project has generated only 2.52 million BDT in revenue, with much of the infrastructure now lying in states of disrepair.
The project, which seeks to utilize the Turag, Buriganga, Shitalakshya, and Balu rivers to alleviate road traffic in the capital, began its first phase in 2000. By 2013, records indicated that 83.5 million BDT had been spent on dredging 29.5 kilometers of waterway and constructing ten landing stations and seven terminal buildings. An additional 38 million BDT was allocated for the procurement and operation of water buses.
Operational challenges, however, have plagued the service since its inception. Of the 110 kilometers designated for the circular route, full-scale passenger service never materialized, largely because low-clearance bridges obstruct transit. According to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), approximately 20 of the 28 bridges crossing these rivers require demolition or modification to allow for consistent vessel passage.
The water bus service itself, which began with two vessels in 2004 and expanded to 12 by 2014, failed to attract consistent ridership. Passengers frequently cited the intense odor of polluted rivers and unreliable scheduling as primary deterrents. Former operators and staff noted that even when passengers were present, the absence of drivers and poor management often left commuters stranded, leading to a loss of public trust.
Following years of operational losses and failed attempts to lease the service to private entities, the state of the infrastructure is dire. Landing stations, once hubs of activity, are now largely abandoned, overgrown with water hyacinths, and described as derelict. Of the 12 water buses originally procured, nine are slated for auction as scrap metal, with many currently abandoned in locations like the Badamtali Ghat featuring broken windows and stripped interiors. The remaining three are currently deployed on the Aricha-Kazirhat route.
Despite this history, the government is moving forward with a new strategy. During a meeting on August 2, Prime Minister Tareque Rahman directed officials to resume efforts to revive the circular route, emphasizing the need for pollution control, improved drainage, and maintained navigability. Under the current plan, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) will not operate the service directly; instead, the BIWTA will coordinate efforts to outsource operations to interested private firms.
Experts caution against repeating past mistakes. Professor Adil Mohammad Khan of Jahangirnagar University’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning warned that without a comprehensive 15 to 20-year master plan, the project risks becoming another financial drain, similar to the failed procurement of DEMU trains. While the successful operation of water taxis in Hatirjheel proves that river-based transit can be viable with proper management, analysts emphasize that hasty, uncoordinated execution will likely yield nothing but further waste of public funds.
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