Bangladesh has opened its first Traffic Management Centre (TMC) in Dhaka to monitor traffic in real time and improve road safety.

The TMC, located at Sarak Bhaban in Tejgaon, was inaugurated on Wednesday with support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)  under its project titled “Improving the Reliability and Safety on National Highway Corridors of Bangladesh through the Introduction of Intelligent Transport System (ITS)”.

The five-year initiative (2020–2025) was implemented with a KOICA grant of $8.93 million.

The new system is deployed along the N8 Dhaka–Mawa Expressway, a strategic national route connected to the Padma Bridge, enhancing road safety and easing congestion on one of the busiest highways to Bangladesh’s south, said a press release.

At the inauguration, PARK Young Sik, ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Bangladesh, said Korea was proud to be a trusted partner of Bangladesh in infrastructure modernisation.

“This project is a testament to our shared vision for sustainable connectivity,”  he said.

Mohammad Abdur Rouf, secretary of the Bridge Division, described the TMC as a “landmark in Bangladesh’s journey toward road safety and transport modernisation,” noting its potential to reduce congestion and improve incident management.

KOICA Country Director Jihoon Kim highlighted that the project combined technology transfer, infrastructure building, and capacity development, while Syed Moinul Hasan, chief engineer of RHD, said the TMC would strengthen real-time responses to road incidents.

BRTA Chairman Abu Momtaz Saad Uddin Ahmed stressed that the system could later be integrated with BRTA’s vehicle inspection centers and driver databases to strengthen enforcement and compliance.

The inauguration ceremony, attended by senior Bangladeshi and Korean officials, concluded with the ribbon-cutting and the formal handover of the TMC to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD).

Officials said the centre marks the beginning of a nationwide traffic monitoring network, potentially extending to other highways in the future.