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Chattogram Development Authority

autonomous · verified (verified 2026-05-17)

Profile

Head
Md Nurul Karim
Role
Chairman
Annual budget
—
Staff
—
Established
1959
Legal basis
Chittagong Development Authority Ordinance, 1959 (East Pakistan Ordinance), enacted under Presidential Proclamation of 7 October 1958; primary enabling instrument governing establishment, powers, and duties of the authority. The Ordinance provides for development, improvement, and expansion of Chittagong city and surrounding areas. CDA operates under the administrative supervision of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

CDA under Chairman Md Nurul Karim (appointed 2 September 2024) is managing three overlapping crises: (1) the Tk 8,626 crore 36-canal waterlogging mitigation project has crossed 90% completion but faces a fourth deadline extension request to June 2027 due to persistent waste-clogging and coordination failures; (2) the 15.2 km Chattogram Elevated Expressway opened on trial basis in August 2024 but missed its December 2025 deadline, now targeting December 2026 for full operation; (3) the Chittagong Metropolitan Master Plan 2020-2041 (Tk 33 crore) was scheduled for completion by June 2024 with consultants Data Experts, Tiller, and EGS having completed survey work; finalization status not publicly confirmed as of May 2026. Real estate activity includes active multi-storey building approvals at the Karnaphuli Residential Project and an enforcement drive against illegal hill-cutting construction.

Recent activity

Provenance & notes

Chairman: Engineer Md Nurul Karim, a former Additional Chief Engineer of the Bangladesh Power Development Board and native of Fatikchari upazila, was appointed 2 September 2024 (official notification signed by Deputy Secretary Kaniz Fatima, Ministry of Public Administration) for a three-year term, replacing AL-affiliated Mohammad Yunus who had been appointed 24 April 2024 and removed after approximately four months following the August 2024 political transition. Staff count not published in any accessible primary source; ZoomInfo lists 51-200 employees, not sufficient for a sanctioned-post figure; set to null. Annual budget not disaggregated in public ADP or ECNEC documents found; set to null. Established_year 1959 is confirmed by the Chittagong Development Authority Ordinance, 1959 (East Pakistan Ordinance No. 7 of 1959) at bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/act-291.html. The admin_level is set to 'divisional' as CDA's jurisdiction is the Chattogram Metropolitan Area (CMA), a sub-national urban region rather than a national body. The Chittagong Metropolitan Master Plan 2020-2041 (Tk 33.32 crore, consultants Data Experts, Tiller, EGS) was scheduled for completion by June 2024; finalization and gazette notification not confirmed in sources available as of May 2026. The DAP (Detailed Area Plan) covers 12 Detailed Planning Zones (6 inside, 6 outside Chattogram City Corporation). The waterlogging project's implementing agency is the Bangladesh Army 34th Engineer Construction Brigade; CDA is the project owner. The Elevated Expressway project owner is CDA; inaugurated by Sheikh Hasina on 14 November 2023 but was incomplete at inauguration.

Sources