DMP chief urges immediate steps to address Dhaka’s ‘highly chaotic’ traffic system

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali has described the city’s traffic management as “highly chaotic”, attributing the issue to a lack of compliance with traffic laws and the encroachment on roads and sidewalks.

If battery-operated rickshaws are not regulated, the city will soon reach a point where movement will become nearly impossible after stepping out of one’s home, he warned.

Sazzat made the remarks at a media briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Dhaka’s Minto Road on Sunday. During the briefing, he touched on a range of issues, including the current law-and-order situation in Dhaka and the steps being taken by the police to address these challenges.

The DMP chief also issued a public apology for the law-enforcing agency’s “unprofessional conduct” during the July movement.

“I am sorry for the unprofessional actions taken by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police during the events of July and August. I sincerely apologise to the people of Dhaka and the entire nation,” he said during a media briefing on Sunday.

Sazzat noted that the police system, which had “collapsed” after Aug 5, has been restored to some extent. Traffic management has become a key focus for the DMP, he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam also apologised to the families of those killed during the student-led movement that ended the 15-year rule of the Awami League. “During the movement, some police officers broke the law and went too far in assisting the fascist government,” Baharul said.

Baharul, who retired four years ago, was reappointed as IGP on Nov 20, alongside Sazzat, who was named as DMP chief.

Both officials have addressed the media in recent days, apologising for the actions of the police during the unrest.

Sazzat said that the DMP and the country’s police force as a whole are starting afresh after the movement. “Many DMP officers who acted unprofessionally at that time have been transferred. Several others faced legal action. We have started afresh and seek support from the people of Dhaka,” he said.

Sazzat acknowledged the challenges of managing a city of 20 million people with limited resources. Following the events of Aug 5, incidents of robbery, murder, looting, and mugging surged, he said, forcing residents to form neighbourhood patrols for safety.

“The DMP was traumatised. But with everyone’s collective efforts, we have moved past that phase,” he added.

The commissioner identified traffic management as a key issue for the DMP, pointing out that only 7 percent of Dhaka’s total area is covered by roads, compared to the ideal 25 percent in a functional city. Additionally, motor vehicles share these roads with manually operated and battery-run rickshaws.

The rise in battery-operated rickshaws, allowed by the previous government, has exacerbated congestion, according to Sazzat. “The limited space on the roads is occupied by autorickshaws. I have raised this issue with the government and called for regulation.”

He also highlighted the challenges of ‘indiscipline’ among road users and hawkers encroaching on streets. “Traffic management has become quite challenging under these circumstances,” he said.

Emphasising traffic management as a priority, Sazzat said that the number of cases filed for traffic violations has doubled. “This is not about collecting revenue or taxes. My goal is to bring order to Dhaka’s traffic system,” he said, urging public cooperation.

He advised residents to live closer to their workplaces and children’s schools to ease traffic congestion.

Addressing a question, Sazzat noted that impact of traffic congestion on people’s daily lives. “It takes three and a half hours to travel from Uttara to Motijheel and the same amount on time to return. How can someone work effectively when so much time is wasted on the roads?”

A better traffic system could add Tk 360 billion to the GDP, he said. “This is the amount of waste we’re currently facing. Why would a foreign investor choose to invest here after seeing this chaos? The traffic system should be our focal point as it reflects the city’s image.”

Sazzat also acknowledged an increase in mugging incidents but assured that the DMP’s Detective Branch and other units are taking measures to address the issue.