There has been a massive shift in urban population towards the outskirts of Dhaka. The increased hype is due to the construction of the new MRT and BRT lines, which aim to reduce traffic congestion in the city. People are slowly moving into areas near Purbachal, Diabari, the outskirts of Mirpur, and some remote sectors of Uttara, through which several of these lines pass through. This shift in population provides a huge scope of real estate and infrastructure development around this region.
MRT And BRT Explained
The formal name of the country’s first Metro Rail Project is Mass Rapid Transit, also known as MRT. One such line connects Diabari with Motijheel, with Diabari being the first station. On the other hand, BRT is a dedicated bus service line, formally called Bus Rapid Transit, one of which will run from the Airport to Gazipur. The BRT 3 line goes through the House Building area of Uttara. The Metro Rail is expected to carry 60,000 passengers per hour, which will supposedly reduce congestion in roads connecting Dhaka North with Dhaka South.
There have been talks to link the two lines, so that passengers landing in Diabari can move to House Building easily and vice versa. The current distance between the two areas is 1.5 kilometers. This region comprises Uttara sectors 15 to 18, areas around Mirpur DOHS, and Uttarkhan. While there are banks, schools, and other important conveniences available in main Uttara, its outskirts lack these facilities. Other than isolated buildings, small shops, and slums, the areas are largely untapped, which opens fresh possibilities for residential and commercial projects.
Possibilities For Real Estate
These underdeveloped areas are now lucrative spaces, especially for gated residential projects because of the vast openness, attractive price range, and easier transport facilities offered by BRT and MRT. Many famed realtors are jumping in to build community projects to offer some of the conveniences of main Uttara without having to go there. For example, if these projects include a gym or a daycare, residents would not have to go all the way to House Building. They can simply enjoy the facility within their community. One such project is bti’s Shopnoneer in Uttarkhan. Since the area is under construction, the prices are quite affordable. At a decent price, a customer can get a wide range of facilities and a nice apartment. For the same price, one might not be able to afford an apartment within inner Dhaka.
Bti has been one of the first real estate companies to recognize the potential of the areas surrounding the BRT and MRT lines. Several of bti’s projects such as The Madison are already undergoing construction along with the areas of BRT and MRT. Due to customer demand, these projects offer affordable homes along with several amenities such as playgrounds, community halls, amphitheaters, mini shops, ATM booths, walkways, pools, and so much more! Following bti, private landowners and other realtors are also preparing projects there.
Mirpur : Another Potential Hub
Mirpur has always had great connectivity to all parts of Dhaka. Now with the introduction of BRT and MRT lines, there will be several stations in this area, to ease Mirpur traffic. Places that are in particular focus for realtors are Pallabi, Mirpur 11, Mirpur 10, Kazipara, Shewrapara, and Agargaon. These areas will have Metro Rail stations, with connections to the greater Savar area and Hatirjheel area. Of course, with the development of infrastructure, real estate development also occurs hand in hand. These areas have also become hot spots for real estate.
The MRT line 6 goes through Pallabi and Shewrapara, while MRT line 5 connects Mirpur with Gabtoli, Savar, and Hatirjheel region. A portion of the line also goes all the way to Vatara. As a result, apartment demand has surged here. Noticing this change, bti has taken steps to make a mark here as well. The new Wellness Communities collection from bti started here, with Royal Pines in Kalshi and Cosmopolis in Shagufta Road. Another project, The Nest is near the Metro Rail station in Mirpur 10, while the City Lite project is in Pallabi. As bti has already created its footprint in these areas, other realtors have followed suit.
Airport to Purbachal
A part of MRT Line 1 will stretch from Notun Bazar to Purbachal in elevated form, with the rest of the line ending in Keranigonj. The 11.36-kilometer route has induced realtors to create more apartments in the nearby Bashundhara and Khilkhet areas. While the Purbachal residential area is under RAJUK control, several realtors have illegally slipped in to build high-rise apartments there. This is evidence of how lucrative the areas around these lines have become. By 2025 prices are expected to soar along with the demand for apartments.
There are a total of five proposed metro rail lines that will cover the city to ease traffic between Dhaka North and South. At the current phase, most rapid construction is going on across the MRT line 6, a 20-kilometer route stretching from Uttara to Motijheel, with 16 stops, some of them located in Mirpur. Construction of MRT lines 5 and 1 are also progressing at a steady rate but slowed down due to the pandemic. The development has prompted many homeowners and real estate companies to create residences along these lines for potential customers who want to live in a transformed suburban Dhaka. With more ongoing real estate development going on, Dhaka’s skyline will be changed forever.
