Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP)’s traffic division controls the traffic on Dhaka’s roads. Meanwhile, construction and maintenance of roads and transport infrastructure are carried out by institutions such as city corporations, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Roads and Highways Department (RHD), Bridge Authority, Bangladesh Railway, Shipping Ministry, and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) oversees vehicle licensing and fitness. In addition, utility service providers such as Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA), Titas Gas Transmission & Distribution Company, and Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO) frequently excavate roads at different times of the year.

At a recent meeting on reducing traffic congestion in Dhaka, held at Cabinet Division of Bangladesh discusses at least 20 agencies are managing the capital’s traffic system. However, there is a lack of “effective coordination” among them. In this context, the government has taken an initiative to strengthen the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) by placing it under the Prime Minister’s Office, Bangladesh or Cabinet Division.

Infrastructure experts believe that the lack of coordination among these agencies is depriving Dhaka residents of essential civic services. They argue that traffic congestion and disorder are causing both physical and mental distress, while also increasing commuting costs. Moreover, poor coordination leads to significant wastage of public funds in development projects, many of which ultimately fail to deliver public benefits due to short-sighted planning.

Professor Dr Hadiuzzaman of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) told Bonik Barta, “There’s no reflection of scientific planning in civic services due to the lack of coordination. For example, city corporations or RAJUK construct roads. But BRTA isn’t considering the road’s capacity, which is constantly registering vehicles. At the same time, the commerce ministry allows the import of vehicles without ensuring whether BRTA has the capacity to test their fitness. One agency builds roads, another registers vehicles, and a third regulates imports. There’s no scientific balance between road capacity and the number of vehicles.”

Despite the implementation of mega projects such as flyovers, metro rail, and expressways over the past decade and a half, Dhaka residents have not been relieved of traffic congestion. Experts believe that the primary crisis in Dhaka’s traffic management is not technical but administrative. They point out that a single powerful authority oversees traffic management in major cities around the world. They recommend establishing a similar body in Bangladesh.

In fact, there is already an agency under Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges tasked with coordinating public transport and traffic-related activities in the capital. This body, DTCA, was established in 2012. It is supposed to act as the central coordinating authority for all transport projects, according to the Strategic Transport Plan (STP). However, in practice, DTCA lacks administrative and legal authority over other agencies. Stakeholders say it functions largely as an advisory body, while mega projects are implemented by separate authorities where DTCA’s role is minimal. Consequently, it has no power to enforce compliance or take punitive action if its directives are ignored.

In this context, the government has taken steps to strengthen DTCA. The meeting held on March 31, chaired by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, made a decision to place DTCA under the Prime Minister's Office, Bangladesh or the Cabinet Division of Bangladesh to enhance its authority and effectiveness in reducing traffic congestion and modernising traffic management in Dhaka. The Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division has been instructed to submit a review report on the matter.

Attempts to obtain comments from Dr Mohammad Ziaul Haque, secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, regarding the progress of this initiative were unsuccessful.

Speaking on the issue, Additional Executive Director of DTCA said, “Whether under Roads and Highways Department, Cabinet Division, or Prime Minister’s Office, it’s essential to strengthen DTCA and grant it the necessary authority. Just as RAJUK can take action against unauthorised or non-compliant buildings, DTCA should also be empowered with similar enforcement capabilities.”

He added: “DTCA must have the authority to halt or, if necessary, remove any unplanned or unapproved projects that fall outside its master plan. When agencies such as the Bridge Division, city corporations, or the Roads and Highways Department undertake transport-related projects, they should be required to obtain DTCA’s approval. With proper authority, DTCA could also eliminate illegal and route-permit-less buses and bring the transport system under a more organised structure through route rationalisation. The necessary administrative and legal powers must be ensured without delay.”