Urban Planners Warn Dhaka Elevated Expressway Ramp Threatens Environment and Public Spaces
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Urban planners and environmentalists have warned that the proposed FDC-Palashi connecting ramp of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway threatens to cause irreparable damage to the Hatirjheel reservoir and the Panthakunja park. Experts cautioned that the project, if executed as planned, would exacerbate environmental degradation and traffic gridlock across a broad swathe of the city, including Kathalbagan, Katabon, Nilkhet, and the campuses of Dhaka University and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).
The concerns were raised during a roundtable discussion held on Saturday at the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) auditorium in Dhaka. The event was organized by a coalition of academic and civic groups, including the Urban Studies Foundation, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at BUET, and the Bangladesh Tree Protection Movement. Participants argued that urban development models prioritizing private vehicle access over environmental preservation are fundamentally flawed and unsustainable for the city’s future.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Presenters Amirul Rajib and Naim Ul Hasan, coordinators of the Bangladesh Tree Protection Movement, criticized the continuity of projects that disregard legal directives. They noted that court mandates prohibit the construction of permanent structures within the vicinity of Panthakunja Park. Despite these rulings, speakers alleged that the previous administration ignored legal protections, and they expressed frustration that the current interim government has yet to intervene or halt the progress of the controversial ramp.
Professor Adil Muhammad Khan, a prominent urban planner, demanded the immediate cancellation of the Panthakunja ramp. He highlighted that the project disproportionately serves personal car owners while sacrificing vital public green spaces and water bodies. Khan also called for a thorough investigation into potential corruption and procedural irregularities that may have characterized the project’s inception under the previous government.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Residents echoed these concerns, noting the lack of open space in the densely populated Kathalbagan area. For the local community, Panthakunja Park serves as the only buffer zone and potential emergency evacuation point, both of which are now threatened by the expressway’s encroachment. Professor Akhtar Mahmud suggested that the city’s ongoing management failures necessitate the creation of an independent “Park and Recreation Authority” to safeguard Dhaka’s shrinking public spaces.
The discussion concluded with a broader critique of urban governance. Participants questioned the feasibility of current initiatives to create a greener, more livable Dhaka, arguing that the existing institutional framework, dominated by bodies like RAJUK and the city corporations, requires radical structural reform. Other speakers, including academics from BUET and representatives from the Urban Development Journalists Forum, emphasized that meaningful progress requires listening to the public and prioritizing ecological resilience over expansionist transit infrastructure.
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