PM to launch work of first-ever subway this month

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will lay the foundation stone of the first-ever underground metro line, formally known as Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-1 on January 26.

The prime minister will attend the programme at an open field in sector 4 in the capital's Purbachal area. The programme will be attended by politicians, locals, metro rail officials and government high-ups, said Nazmul Islam Bhuiyan, a deputy project director of MRT line 1.

This will be the second biggest infrastructure project in the country at a cost of 52,561.43 crore. A preparatory meeting was held on Monday ahead of the programme with Road Transport and Highways Division secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri in the chair.

“The physical work of the project will start that day along with land development work for the depot at Pitalganj in Narayanganj,” said Nazmul Islam Bhuiyan. Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL), the implementation agency of Dhaka Metro Rail projects, has already signed a contract with a Japan-Bangladesh joint-venture firm to develop the depot in 910 days at a cost of Tk 607.65 crore.

According to the latest project progress report, the authorities have acquired 93 acres of land at Pitalganj and Brahman Khali at Rupganj in Narayanganj to construct the depot and its access corridor. The land owners’ compensation of Tk 940cr has been handed over to the local administration for disbursement.

The authorities are also in process of land acquisition to construct Receiving Sub-station 2 and entry-exit points for three underground stations at Nodda, Natun Bazar and Uttar Badda areas in the capital.

According to the project documents, the construction works of the metro rail line are scheduled to be completed by December 2026. Of the total cost, the Bangladesh government will provide Tk 13,111 crore of its cost while Tk 39,450 crore will come from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

This 31.24-km-long line has two parts – an underground 19.87km part from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kamalapur (Airport route) and an 11.36-km elevated line from Natunbazar to Purbachal (Purbachal route).

Trains will run on MRT Line-1 from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kamalapur in 24 minutes, including stops at 12 underground stations. Twenty-five trains will run at the speed of 90 kilometres per hour and carry eight lakh passengers daily.

According to the Revised Strategic Transport Plan, MRT Line-1 will be divided into Airport and Purbachal routes.

The Airport route will run from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kamalapur via the airport’s third terminal, Khilkhet, Jamuna Future Park, Natun Bazar, Badda, Hatirjheel, Rampura, Malibagh, and Rajarbagh.

The project’s underground part will cover 16.5 kilometres. The Natun Bazar station will be inter-connected to MRT Line-5.

The Purbachal section of MRT Line-1 will run from Natun Bazar to Purbachal terminal via Bashundhara, Jamuna Future Park, Police Officers Housing Society, Mastul, Purbachal Pashchim, Madhya Purbachal, and Purbachal Sector 7.