The Bangladesh government plans to introduce 250 electric buses, plant 5 lakh trees, and convert landfills to energy hubs, as part of a major initiative to make Dhaka a cleaner, greener city.
The government has announced an expanded set of environmental and urban mobility reforms, including the introduction of 250 electric buses, planting five lakh trees, and converting major landfill sites into energy production hubs. These initiatives are part of efforts to transform Dhaka into a cleaner and greener capital.
Leader of the House and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Tarique Rahman made the announcement on Wednesday during a question-and-answer session in the Jatiya Sangsad, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed. He was responding to a query from Cumilla-9 lawmaker Md Abul Kalam about government initiatives to reduce pollution and improve urban livability.
The prime minister said coordinated actions are being implemented through the Local Government Division and Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation to improve waste management, air quality and urban greenery across the capital.
He said the government is scaling up electric mobility through the planned introduction of 250 electric buses in coordination with the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority. This aims to reduce transport-sector emissions in one of the world’s most polluted megacities.
Dhaka’s waste infrastructure is also being restructured, with the Matuail landfill set to be transformed into an integrated circular economy-based waste management and energy generation facility through foreign investment. Officials said the initiative aims to significantly reduce landfill dependency and move toward a “zero-waste” model.
Urban greening has been expanded through large-scale plantation programs across road medians, open spaces and transport corridors. The government has set a target of planting five lakh trees in the capital within five years, alongside broader national afforestation plans.
Tree plantation will also extend to major infrastructure corridors, including areas beneath the metro rail line from Mirpur-12 to Mirpur DOHS and under the elevated expressway from Abdullahpur to Farmgate.
In addition, joint initiatives involving the Forest Department, city corporations and infrastructure agencies have already planted more than 41,000 saplings of fruit, forest, medicinal and ornamental species across roadsides, canal banks and urban spaces. Ground cover vegetation using shrubs and grasses has also been introduced to reduce soil exposure and improve environmental resilience.
The prime minister said air pollution control measures are being strengthened with support from the World Bank, which has helped identify major pollution sources in Dhaka. Enforcement operations, including mobile courts, are targeting vehicle emissions, construction dust and material-related pollution.
Illegal brick kilns around the capital are being shut down through regular enforcement drives. Savar has also been declared a degraded air shed, where brick kiln operations and open burning have been prohibited to curb severe air pollution.
Officials said the combined interventions are designed to gradually reshape Dhaka into a more climate-resilient, livable and environmentally sustainable city through coordinated governance and long-term urban planning.
Environmental experts and youth climate advocates welcomed the initiatives but stressed the importance of sustained implementation and accountability.
“Sustainable transport and circular waste systems are central to an ecological transition in cities like Dhaka. Electrifying mobility, restoring urban green cover and turning waste into energy are critical steps toward a just and climate-resilient future,” said Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator, YouthNet Global.
