BGMEA for fast execution of BRT project to end suffering on Dhaka-Gazipur highway

Leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters' Association (BGMEA) have called upon the government to speed up the implementation of the bus rapid transit (BRT) project and complete it fast to rein in the nightmarish traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Gazipur highway. 

At a meeting with Roads and Highways Secretary Nazrul Islam at the Secretariat on Tuesday, they also requested the authorities concerned to take steps to make the highway free from encroachers and stop random parking, evict illegal shops and trading centres, and bazars.

As encroachers' arbitrary occupancy has narrowed down the highway, the apex body of garment exporters also sought cooperation of the Gazipur City Corporation.

The BGMEA delegation was led by the organisation's president, M Faruque Hassan.

The garment exporters said that hundreds of the workers, entrepreneurs, buyers and their representatives and officials, staff working in the garments factories have to sit idle on the road every day for hours due to the traffic congestion wasting working hours and incurring additional expense. 

Besides, the traffic congestion is increasing the transportation cost and time of the raw materials for garment and export items.

Faruque Hassan urged the authorities to complete the Dhaka-Gazipur road project within the shortest possible time and make it usable for the commuters.

The BGMEA leaders said that common people are suffering a lot due to the ongoing infrastructure projects on the Dhaka-Gazipur highway. The garment factories and other industries are facing enormous problems in transporting raw materials and finished goods.  

Gazipur is a huge industrial hub where there are lots of garment factories and other export industries.