Chattogram: A new bus terminal at Kulgaon in Chattogram city is set to open this month. Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) has constructed the terminal on 8.10 acres of land in the Kulgaon-Baluchara area of Jalalabad Ward to serve 12 routes in northern Chattogram.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Project Director and CCC Superintending Engineer Jashim Uddin stated that the main construction work is nearing completion. "We are now carrying out finishing work, landscaping and beautification. We expect the project to be completed within this month," he said.
The terminal, modeled after existing terminals at Kadamtali and Bahaddarhat, will accommodate both long-distance and intercity buses and trucks, with parking facilities for 160 vehicles. Jashim Uddin mentioned that the Chattogram city master plan had allocated 28 acres for a city bus terminal. The CCC has initially developed the 8.10-acre Kulgaon site to serve northern routes, with plans for another terminal for southern Chattogram in the future.
CCC sources revealed that Tk 103.15 crore was allocated for land acquisition for the project. Additionally, Tk 35.87 crore was spent on land development, infrastructure development, and yard construction, including Tk 3.37 crore, Tk 7.50 crore, and Tk 25 crore respectively.
The new facility will be the third bus terminal in the port city and is expected to become fully operational following its inauguration this month. A recent site inspection found that the project is in its final stage, with finishing and beautification work underway at the main terminal building.
Once operational, the terminal is expected to benefit a large number of passengers traveling to Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Hathazari, Rangunia, and other areas in northern Chattogram. It is also expected to ease traffic congestion in the Oxygen area, a major gateway to the city.
There had previously been no dedicated terminal for buses and trucks operating towards Hathazari, Rangunia, Khagrachhari, and Rangamati. As a result, vehicles often stopped along roadsides to pick up and drop off passengers, contributing to traffic congestion. The CCC launched the construction of the Kulgaon bus-truck terminal to address the problem.
Officials are hopeful that the new terminal will significantly reduce traffic congestion in northern parts of the city. The first bus terminal in Chattogram was established at Kadamtali in 1966, while the second was opened at Bahaddarhat in 1993.
Although the city bus terminal project was approved in October 2018, various complications delayed its implementation for nearly eight years. Md Sekandor, a leader of the Rangamati and Khagrachhari Bus Owners' Association, highlighted the daily operation of around 500 to 600 buses on the Chattogram-Rangamati highway through Oxygen, serving Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and other northern areas.
"Due to the absence of a permanent terminal, buses currently pick up passengers from roadside locations such as Muradpur and Oxygen. This creates difficulties for vehicles operating on other city routes. The new terminal is expected to bring discipline to the northern routes and ease congestion, particularly around Oxygen," he said.
CCC Chief Engineer Md Anisur Rahman Sohel indicated that several projects, including the Kulgaon-Baluchara Bus Terminal, are nearing completion. "A decision on their inauguration or opening will be taken after the mayor returns to the country in a day or two. We expect the bus terminal to become operational very soon," he said.
The three-storey terminal building will include separate city and intercity bus facilities, 25 passenger boarding lanes, and 14 additional waiting lanes. Other facilities will include a spacious waiting hall and information center, separate toilets for men and women, 22 ticket counters, passenger seating, Wi-Fi, a luggage room, taxi booking room, first-aid center, restaurant, a designated seating area for AC bus passengers, offices for bus and truck owners, and accommodation for bus staff.