BANGLADESH: On November 4, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is all set to embark on a significant journey, traveling from Agargaon to Motijheel on the metro rail to inaugurate this crucial section. Following her journey, she will unveil the replica of the inauguration plaque for MRT Line-5 at the Motijheel station concourse.
ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, the Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, expressed readiness for the inauguration of services at one infrastructure and the inauguration of construction work at another. There were discussions about holding these two events on separate days, but the Prime Minister’s Office has proposed to have both programs on the same day.
Awami League Organizing Secretary Mirza Azam revealed that the premier would address an Awami League meeting at the Motijheel station concourse following the inauguration ceremonies. The commercial operation of the metro rail on the Uttara-Agargaon section was inaugurated last December, part of the Tk33,472 crore MRT Line-6 project. Once inaugurated up to Motijheel, the rapid transit system will cover a 20.1km route.
Officials from Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), MRT Line-6, and Line-5 conducted a rehearsal of the opening ceremony at the Agargaon station premises. Meanwhile, all types of leave for officials from both projects have been suspended until November 5. Man Siddique, the managing director of DMTCL, noted that the metro rail service on the Agargaon-Motijheel section would be open to the public the day after the inauguration. Initially, limited service will run from 8 am to 11 am daily, with the opening of three new stations: Farmgate, Bangladesh Secretariat, and Motijheel. The number of stations and service hours will gradually increase.
Traveling from Motijheel to Uttara on the 20.1-kilometer metro rail will take just 36.4 minutes, a significant reduction from the 105 minutes it takes by road. When full service is launched, passengers can expect to save 68.6 minutes, or 65.33% of their travel time on this route. The government has plans to extend the project to Kamalapur in the future, which is expected to further increase the daily number of passengers on this line by another 100,000.
Despite the initial postponement of the metro rail inauguration dates, the construction of the three stations set to start operations is nearing completion. Entry and exit points, footpath development, and escalator installations at each station are in their final stages, with workers estimating just a few more days to finish all these facilities.
Hemayetpur-Bhatara Metro Line Work to Commence with Land Development
In addition to the exciting developments on the Agargaon-Motijheel route, the Hemayetpur-Bhatara metro line is set to begin its journey with land development. The necessary equipment and human resources have been mobilized for soil improvement and land development of the depot in Savar’s Hemayetpur, according to MRT Line-5 Project Director Aftab Hossain Khan.
A joint venture between TAO Corporation of Japan and Spectra Engineers Limited of Bangladesh will undertake the development of a 99.25-acre land for the depot, under a contract worth Tk1,189 crore. Approved in 2019 with an estimated cost of Tk41,238.55 crore, the project aims to construct a 20km line with 13.5 km of underground and 6.5km of elevated sections. Out of the 14 stations planned, nine will be established underground, with the remaining stations in the elevated section.
DMTCL has set a target to complete the project by 2028, with expectations of carrying approximately 1.23 million passengers daily on this vital rail network.
