Underground metro another milestone
Says PM at inauguration of MRT Line-1 construction
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday inaugurated the construction of the country's first-ever underground metro rail, hailing it as another milestone in Bangladesh's journey towards progress.
"We've set another milestone in Bangladesh's development journey by opening the construction work of the underground metro rail today [Thursday]," she said.
The premier made the remarks while addressing a rally at Purbachal in Narayanganj's Rupganj, where she unveiled the inaugural plaque of the construction work of the 31.241-km MRT Line-1.
The MRT Line-1 having both underground and elevated facilities will be constructed at an estimated cost of Tk 52,561.43 crore by 2026.
The 20km Airport-Kamalapur part will not cause suffering to people as its construction works will be done some 10-30 meters under the ground, she said.
The first underground metro line will have two parts -- a 19.872-km part from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kamalapur (Airport route) and an around 11.37-km elevated line from Natun Bazar to Purbachal (Purbachal route).
The Airport route includes 12 stations, while the Purbachal route will have seven stations.
To implement the MRT Line-1, Japan International Cooperation (JICA) will finance Tk 39,450.32 crore, while the rest Tk 13,111.11 crore will be drawn from the government's fund.
Some 800,000 passengers will be able to travel through the MRT Line-1 every day. Passengers will take only 25 minutes to travel from Airport to Kamalapur with breaks at 12 underground stations and 21 minutes from Natun Bazar to Purbachal with breaks at seven stations.
Besides, passengers will be able to reach Purbachal from Kamalapur with an interchange in Natun Bazar station within only 40 minutes with breaks at 16 stations.
A total of six metro rail routes will be inaugurated in the capital city of Dhaka by 2030.