Photo : BSS

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 24, 2025 (BSS) - Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC), Dr. Shahadat Hossain said with the implementation of the monorail project, traffic congestion in the port city will be reduced to a great extent.

“The monorail project would provide residents with a convenient, safe, punctual, and comfortable mode of transportation, ultimately reducing traffic congestion, saving time, and boosting the city's economy,” he said.

The City Corporation is backing the project to turn Chattogram into a smart and eco-friendly city, the mayor said while speaking at a coordination meeting on the feasibility study of the monorail project at the CCC Rest house today.

The meeting was attended by key individuals including Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury, President of the Greater Chattogram Economic Forum, Faisal Rahman, Chief Coordinator of the Monorail Project, Kausar Ahmed Chowdhury, Country Director of Arab Contractors and Orascom Construction Company, Kamran Anwar Nagiv, Project Consultant, and Abu Sadat Md. Tayyab, Superintending Engineer and Coordinator of the CCC for the project.

During the meeting, it was discussed that the feasibility of four possible routes is currently being examined. These routes include a 26.5-kilometer stretch from Kalurghat to the airport (via Bahaddarhat, Chawkbazar, Lalkhan Bazar, Dewanhat, and Patenga), a 13.5-kilometer route from City Gate to Shaheed Bashiruzzaman Chattar (via AK Khan, Nimtali, Sadarghat, and Firingi Bazar), and a 14.5-kilometer path from Oxygen to Firingi Bazar (via Muradpur, Panchlaish, Andarkilla, and Kotwali).

A 10.9 km railway line will be constructed as the fourth road from the city gate to Nimtala Parajant via Port Connecting Road and Agrabad Access. 

During the discussion, the delegation mentioned that if the monorail project is launched, Orascom will provide a profit of at least TK 5 per passenger to the city corporation. 

The project will be implemented on a Public-Private Ownership Transfer (PPOT) system with an estimated total cost of around TK 30 thousand crore. 

Initially, the company will operate the project for 20-25 years before handing it over to the city corporation. Approximately 50 acres of land will be needed for maintenance, including the central station and storage facilities. The monorail will require 30-35 megawatts of electricity daily for operation. 

The feasibility study is expected to take 7-8 months, and the construction work will likely span 3-4 years.