Chattogram Charts Course for Country’s First Monorail
The first monorail project in Bangladesh is set to begin in the port city of Chattogram. On Sunday, June 1, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at the Chittagong Chamber auditorium in the World Trade Center in Agrabad, laying the foundation for the ambitious transport initiative.
According to the agreement, Orascom Group and Arab Contractors Group will conduct the feasibility study. The implementation of the project, entirely funded by the consortium, is expected to take approximately five years.
At the signing ceremony, Kausar Alam Chowdhury, Chief Representative of the Arab Contractors and Orascom Peninsula Consortium, outlined the financing model, technological framework, and implementation strategy for the proposed monorail project.
In his address as chief guest, Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain announced that the monorail would span approximately 54 kilometers, requiring an estimated investment of BDT 20,000–25,000 crore. The entire investment will be borne by foreign firms Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors, with no financial liability on the part of CCC. “Only logistical support and land allocation will be provided,” the mayor stated.
President of the Greater Chittagong Economic Forum, Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury, noted that the project would be implemented under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Investment is expected from Germany’s NAS Investment and the National Bank of Egypt. Three potential routes have already been identified. Line 1 will be 26.5 kilometers, running from Kalurghat to the airport via Bahaddarhat, Chawkbazar, Lalkhan Bazar, Dewanhat, and Patenga. Line 2 will stretch 13.5 kilometers from the City Gate to Shaheed Bashiruzzaman Square via A K Khan, Nimtoli, Sadarghat, and Firingibazar. Line 3 will span 14.5 kilometers, connecting Oxygen to Firingibazar via Muradpur, Panchlaish, Andarkilla, and Kotwali.
Kausar Alam Chowdhury emphasized that revenue from the monorail would not be limited to ticket sales. “Revenue will also come from advertisements, station retail outlets, and increased property values in surrounding areas,” he said. “A well-functioning public transport system can yield economic returns five to seven times higher than its investment.”
Among others present at the event were CCC Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Muhammad Touhidul Islam, Chief Revenue Officer Sarwar Kamal, and Greater Chittagong Economic Forum Member Secretary Nazir Shahin.
Notably, in October 2019, a feasibility study for a 54.5-kilometer metro rail in Chattogram had begun but was later halted. Subsequently, on June 8, 2021, Chinese firm WETEC proposed a monorail project to CCC. Representatives from the firm met the then mayor at the CCC office in Tiger Pass to discuss the proposal. Earlier that year, on May 19, another Chinese company—Weihai International Economic and Technical Cooperative Company Limited, in collaboration with China Railway Construction Company Limited—had also proposed a monorail for the city.
