Metrorail is being launched for the citizens of the capital in the last week of next month (December). Initially, Metrorail will be launched from Uttara to Agargaon in the first phase.
Managing Director (MD) of Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) said this to reporters after the signing ceremony of land development agreement of Metrorail (MRT Line-1) depot area at a hotel in the capital recently.
The reality of traffic congestion in the capital has reached such a level that the journey time can be guaranteed, but not the arrival time. It is difficult to calculate how many measures have been taken to bring this terrible traffic jam to a tolerable level, including flyovers, lanes, road widening. But the woes of traffic congestion are not going away. In this situation, when the citizens of the capital are grinding, it is as if the dream Metrorail is blowing a cool breeze of relief.
Metrorail is one of the mega projects of Bangladesh government. Which is progressing towards implementation under the full-time personal supervision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The projects are being implemented in full swing after overcoming the Corona crisis. The people of the country are already enjoying the benefits of the dream Padma Bridge. He is unwavering towards the implementation of the promise made by the Prime Minister to the countrymen to build a digital Bangladesh.
Metrorail is basically a speed transit or rapid communication system. Which is a widely used public transportation system in many major cities of the world. Dhaka Metro, officially known as Mass Rapid Transit or MRT for short, is an urban rail system under construction in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. In 2013, the government formulated a strategic transport plan aimed at reducing the increasing traffic problems and road congestion in Dhaka metropolis. According to that strategy, it is planned to establish metro rail in Dhaka for the first time.
It takes more than 3 to 4 hours to travel from Uttara to Motijheel Road by bus. It will be possible to reach there in 40 minutes by metro rail. As per the Revised Strategic Transport Plan made in 2016, the number of Metrorail lines was increased from 3 to 5. 20.1 km long MRT 6 lines from Uttara to Motijheel have been selected for construction in the first phase. In 2016, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction of MRT Line-6 on June 26.
Construction of Metrorail in a country like Bangladesh is a landmark step. On December 18, 2012, one of the priorities of the Bangladesh government, the Dhaka Mass Speed Transit Development Project, i.e. the Metrorail project, received the approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). A 20.10 km long route called MRT-6 is fixed for the first phase of construction.
The total cost of this project is estimated at 21 thousand 985 crore 59 lakh taka. JICA will give 16 thousand 594 crore 48 lakh taka as support for the project. According to the project plan, if the metro rail from Uttara to Motijheel starts, it will be possible to transport 60 thousand passengers per hour from both directions. The final route alignment of MRT-6 is Uttara Phase III from the west side of Pallabi-RokeyaSarni to ChandrimaUdyan, Sangsad Bhavan, Farmgate via Khamarbari, Sonargaon Hotel, Shahbagh, TSC Doel Chatwar, Topkhana Road to Kamalapur.
The 16 stations of this route are Uttara Uttara, Uttara Center, Uttara Dakshin, Pallabi, Mirpur-11, Mirpur-10, Kazipara, Sheorapara, Agargaon, Vijay Sarani, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh, Dhaka University, Secretariat, Motijheel and Kamalapur. The train requires 13.47 MW of electricity, which will be taken from the national grid. For this there will be 5 sub-stations in Uttara, Pallabi, Taltala, Sonargaon and Bangla Academy areas.
On October 15, 2019, two construction projects named MRT-1 and MRT-5 were approved. Under the MRT-1 project, a total of 31.24 kilometers of metro rail will be constructed from the airport to Kamalapur and from Nabunbazar to Purbachal. The total cost of this project is estimated at 52 thousand 561 crores. Out of this, the Japanese government will give 39 thousand 450 crore taka, and the remaining 13 thousand 111 crore takas will be given by the Bangladesh government.
In the MRT-1 project, 16.21 km from the airport to Kamalapur will be underground and 11.36 km from Kuril to Purbachal will be by air. 31.28 km railway line will be constructed from New Bazar to Kuril along with 3.65 km underground transition line.
12 Metrorail stations will be underground and 7 will be on flyovers. The MRT-5 construction project will build a 20 km line from Hemayetpur to Bhatara. Of this project’s 412 thousand 238 crore taka, Japan will give 29 thousand 117 crore taka and the remaining 12 thousand 121 crore takas will be given by the Bangladesh government. Out of the 20 kilometers of the project, 13 kilometers will be underground and the remaining 6 and a half kilometers will be aerial.
Similarly, Dhaka Metrorail will make the life of the people of the country, especially the people of Dhaka city, much easier and meaningful. People will get more time at work. It will add human working hours to economic prosperity. Production will increase. Financially the people of the country will benefit a lot. On the other hand, traffic congestion in the city will be reduced a lot. People will be able to reach their workplace and join work in a short time. The cost will also be less. Financially common people will benefit a lot. People’s quality of life will improve.
People’s motivation will increase. People’s happiness will increase. It will increase the workforce. People will be more motivated to imagine a better life. The reputation of the country will spread to the world. As the country enters the middle-income country, its message will spread more and more in the world. We will be able to feel the benefits of a developed country. Metrorail has been running in our neighboring country West Bengal since 1984. It has already increased and created opportunities for people in various directions.
Metrorail is the main and only mode of transportation in many countries of the world. For example, the metro rail in Singapore, Hong Kong. to enjoy It is very easy to travel anywhere in a short amount of time at a low cost. Metrorail has been playing a very active role in economic activity. One day metro rail will become everyone’s favorite vehicle in our country too. Dhaka Metrorail was originally planned to be launched in 2021. But it was not possible. Time is running out.
The cost will also increase. If the construction work could be completed in less time, the cost would be reduced. Metrorail is being built with the financial and technical support of Japan. Just as the Padma Bridge was done with the full cooperation of China, the Metrorail is being done with the cooperation of Japan. Dhaka Metrorail project is one of the mega projects of our country.
The most visible project of the government is the Dhaka Metrorail project. The other is the Padma Bridge. That too self-financed construction. Although the World Bank was supposed to provide financial loans for the Padma Bridge, later the government started the construction work with its own funding. The government took up a big challenge in this field and succeeded. We are all enjoying the results of this success.
Similarly, the Dhaka Metrorail project will contribute to the improvement of the quality of life by reducing the sufferings of the people of Dhaka city. Dhaka Metrorail project should be built in a fast, strong and sustainable manner. Such projects are long-term. It is the need of the hour to make it strong and sustainable so that people can benefit from this project for ages.
The government is determined to build a corruption-free society. Corruption free work – everyone wants. The more corruption free the work, the more correct the development. Costs will decrease. It will play a big role in the economy of the country. Cost of the project increases due to longer time taken. Corruption also increases as a result of taking more time. Want skilled, honest and patriotic workforce.
Any mega project that can bring down the cost. According to the metrorail and line design, it can run at a maximum speed of 110 kmph.However, at what speed will it run with passengers, how long will it be stopped at the station and how much will the fare be, these issues have not been finalized yet. Japan’s Kawasaki-Mitsubishi Consortium is in charge of designing and building the Metrorail.
All kinds of experiments will be done under them. When the contracting company formally hands over the trains to Bangladesh, the trains will be driven by drivers appointed by Bangladesh. The government has already appointed drivers. Their training is also going on. Training will also be given abroad. If all goes well, the metro rail from Uttara to Agargaon will be operational by December this year. Preliminarily the rent is also fixed. However, till Kamalapur, the duration of this project is till June 2024. We hope that the metro rail will be launched before the deadline.
Sufian Siddique is an independent researcher and freelance columnist, Dhaka.
