The Dhaka-Chattogram route is considered the lifeline of Bangladesh’s economy. Over the past decade, nearly BDT 155 billion has been spent on upgrading the highway to four lanes and converting the railway into a double-track line. As a result of this massive investment, travel time had once been reduced to around four hours. However, due to short-sighted planning, lack of maintenance, severe traffic congestion, and manpower shortages, those gains have been lost. Passenger and freight transport are once again enduring long journeys of 7–8 hours.
The Dhaka-Chattogram railway route stretches 321 kilometres. At one time, trains operated on a single track and completed the journey in 5–6 hours. However, increasing train frequency, closure of stations, weak rail tracks, and ageing coaches and engines pushed travel time higher. After the implementation of the double-track project between 2015 and 2023, train operations normalised and journey times dropped to below five hours. But the achievement did not last long because of poor post-project maintenance, manpower shortages, and mismanagement.
At present, even luxury non-stop trains are unable to reach their destinations in under six hours. Meanwhile, intercity trains with stoppages are taking 7–8 hours, although the scheduled travel time is 6 hours and 10 minutes.
Speaking to Bonik Barta, Roads and Highways Department (RHD) Additional Chief Engineer Abdul Halim said, “When the Dhaka-Chattogram highway was expanded, service lanes weren’t included in the project. Traffic congestion at various small and large markets and feeder road intersections is slowing down vehicle movement on this route. Although a feasibility study was initiated for an elevated expressway on this corridor, the plan was later cancelled, causing the RHD to fall behind in building the next phase of infrastructure within the expected timeframe.”
“It’s not true that no initiative has been taken to continue the development of the country’s most important highway, the Dhaka-Chattogram route. The government is currently planning to upgrade the highway to 10 lanes. Once implemented, the project will ensure faster, safer, and more comfortable travel between Dhaka and Chattogram,” he added.
According to the RHD data, the initiative to expand the highway was taken in 2006. In 2010, a contract was signed with a Chinese company to upgrade the 192.3-kilometre stretch from the Daudkandi Bridge toll plaza to Chattogram into a four-lane highway. The initial project cost was estimated at BDT 16.55 billion. However, by the time the highway was inaugurated in 2016, the cost had risen to BDT 38.17 billion.
But the highway soon became inadequate again due to the rapid increase in traffic volume. The project was designed in 2016 based on an estimated daily traffic flow of 16,485 vehicles. By 2019, however, the number had exceeded 32,000 vehicles a day. At present, daily traffic has crossed 50,000 vehicles. Although an elevated expressway was proposed as an alternative solution, the plan was never implemented.
Experts say the failure to include service lanes during the four-lane expansion was a major mistake. Due to this planning shortfall and the slow pace of further expansion, passengers are now spending 7–8 hours on the journey, while freight vehicles require 8–10 hours.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Railway has implemented several mega projects over the past decade to modernise the rail network. At one time, delays and accidents were common on the single-track route. The Laksham–Chinki Astana double line was launched in 2015, while the Tongi–Bhairab Bazar double line was inaugurated in 2016. Most recently, the Akhaura–Laksham double line became operational in 2023, completing the double-track upgrade of the entire route.
In addition, the construction of the second Bhairab and Titas railway bridges made train operations smoother. As a result, travel time was once reduced significantly. However, due to poor maintenance, ageing coaches and engines, and weak management, rail travel times have once again returned to previous levels.
Railway officials said the actual length of the Dhaka-Chattogram railway route, including the extra distance of bridge pontage, is 321 kilometres. On the newly upgraded railway, non-stop trains should be able to reach their destination within 4 hours and 30 minutes at an average speed of 75 kilometres per hour.
However, despite regular maintenance work, the tracks on this route are still unable to support high-speed metre-gauge train operations. Because there is not enough ballast stone along the tracks, higher train speeds increase the risk of derailment. At the same time, most locomotives in the eastern railway zone operate with two motors instead of four, making it difficult for trains to climb newly built and elevated bridges.
As a result, despite converting single tracks into double lines and replacing single-track bridges with double-line bridges, passenger and freight trains are still reaching their destinations at almost the same speed as they did a decade ago.
Admitting that travel time on the railway route has increased, Bangladesh Railway Director General Md Afzal Hossain told Bonik Barta, “Although the opportunity for uninterrupted train movement on the Dhaka-Chattogram railway route has been created, there has been failure in implementing it effectively. In particular, despite improvements in track infrastructure, the gradual return of running times to previous levels is largely due to the failure to import coaches and engines within the scheduled timeframe.”
He, however, claimed that steps are being taken to resolve this major crisis in the railway sector through the rapid import of engines.
Regular passengers on the Dhaka-Chattogram route and people associated with the transport sector said there is no longer any fixed travel time for journeys between Dhaka and Chattogram by road or rail. Previously, transport operators used to provide passengers with estimated arrival times. At present, almost every transport company on this route avoids guaranteeing arrival within a set timeframe, citing traffic congestion and other disruptions along the way.
Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, told Bonik Barta, “Because there are no service lanes on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, passengers are facing long delays because of the pressure from vehicles moving in the opposite direction on both sides of the road, indiscriminate parking caused by poor traffic management, and roadside markets. Due to mismanagement, suffering on the railway route is also increasing day by day instead of delivering the expected benefits. Even after converting the railway into a double line, a travel time of 6–7 hours, similar to that of a single-track line, is unacceptable in any way.”
He also said the authorities should be held accountable for the decline in service quality despite massive development expenditure.