The Bangladesh government is advancing plans to construct two monorail routes in the capital Dhaka by 2030. Following the completion of a pre-feasibility study, work on the detailed design of the two routes is now underway.
Dr. Md. Moshiur Rahman, Additional Executive Director of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), said the proposed monorail system will help expand the capital’s public transport network. As an environmentally friendly, sustainable, and efficient mode of transport, it is expected to ease passenger movement, particularly in areas with high demand.
He added that the monorail routes will offer opportunities for integration with existing and planned metro rail lines as well as other public transport systems. Such connections could play an important role in providing last-mile connectivity for metro passengers.
Consultants from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) have already completed the pre-feasibility study. Detailed design work is currently in progress and is planned to be finished within the scheduled timeframe.
The final selection of the two routes will be based on technical, economic, and environmental assessments, with priority given to passenger demand, potential benefits, and financial viability.
DTCA conducted traffic model-based studies across different parts of the capital to assess passenger demand. The data was later provided to BUET consultants for analysis, Dr. Moshiur Rahman said.
DTCA has engaged consultants under a contract titled “Consultancy Service for Pre-Feasibility Study of Monorail Alignment Integration with Mass Transit Networks in Dhaka Metropolitan Region” to examine the feasibility of integrating monorail routes with the mass transit network in the Dhaka metropolitan area.
BUET’s Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation (BRTC) has completed the pre-feasibility study. Under the contract, the detailed design is to be submitted within the next six months.
According to project-related information, the government has allocated Tk 7.57 crore from the revenue budget for the pre-feasibility study and the preparation of detailed designs for the two proposed monorail routes.
The study aims to assess the feasibility of introducing a monorail-based public transport system in Dhaka and to determine effective ways of connecting it with existing and planned metro rail and other public transport networks.
The Revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP) proposes five monorail routes covering approximately 79.4 kilometres. Of these, one priority route is planned to be selected within three months, with the full study expected to be completed within six months.
Five routes have been identified preliminarily, focusing on areas where bus feeder services to MRT lines are limited. These are:
- Purbachal and Jalsiri via Airport–Bashundhara (25.2 km)
- Madhya Badda–Bhulta (14.6 km)
- Rampura–Demra (10.3 km)
- Mohammadpur–Postogola (11.7 km)
- Uttara Centre via Airport–Savar (17.6 km)
The proposal also mentions Monorail-8 (from TSC of Dhaka University to Kamrangirchar with 9 stations), Monorail-10 (from Alubdi to West Agargaon or Shyamoli with 10 stations), and Monorail-13 (from Paltan to Sadarghat or Jhilmil with 6 or 11 stations).
A BUET consultant told BSS that the team reviewed population density, potential passenger catchment areas of stations, gaps in public transport services, congested zones, land availability for depots, and scope for future expansion while conducting the pre-feasibility study for the metropolitan area.
The consultant said the proposed monorail system would help develop an integrated, efficient, and sustainable public transport network in the capital.
The government-funded study will evaluate route alignment, possible locations of stations and depots, passenger demand, technical and structural suitability, economic feasibility, and environmental and social impacts.
As monorails operate on elevated structures, DTCA is assessing how effective the system would be in Dhaka’s densely populated areas, where limited road space and infrastructural constraints make conventional public transport infrastructure difficult to build.
The study will also examine construction costs, passenger carrying capacity, operating expenses, and the overall economic and social rationale of the proposed system. Both local and expatriate Bangladeshi experts have been engaged as consultants.
The initiative to introduce monorail services in Dhaka forms part of the government’s broader efforts to reduce traffic congestion and improve urban transport, in line with its election pledges.