The construction cost of the first underground metro rail is set to exceed by Tk 1,415 crore due to an increase in land acquisition expenses.
Authorities of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line 1 project are seeking to acquire an additional 18 acres of land on top of the original 97.15 acres allocated in the initial plan.
For the original 97.15-acre land acquisition, the project had a budget of Tk 2,355 crore, including resettlement and rehabilitation costs. With the new land acquisition decision, the total cost for land acquisition is estimated to be Tk 3,770 crore.
Officials anticipate the land acquisition cost may rise even further as they may need to acquire additional land for some project components that were initially excluded. “We need spaces for Kamalapur, Notun Bazar and Badda stations’ entry-exit points. Besides, for the Hatirjheel construction yard we will need more spaces,” said Project Director Abul Kashem Bhuiyan said.
For the time being, they will focus on acquiring additional land for crucial components. Any remaining land will be acquired later if necessary.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), the agency responsible for implementing the Metro Rail project, decided to acquire extra land earlier this year. They sought the Planning Commission's approval to allocate additional funds from the existing project budget to cover the expenses and adjust the amount during the project's future revisions.
Initially, they aimed to acquire 39.17 acres of land for Tk 2,316 crore and submitted a proposal to the Planning Commission.
Officials of the Planning Commission have indicated that they can approve additional land acquisition of up to 20 acres without involving the executive committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec). To expedite the process, the commission advised DMTCL to reduce the land quantity.
DMTCL subsequently submitted a revised proposal, reducing the additional land requirement from 39.17 acres to 18 acres.
The rest of the land will be added to the project later, and the Detailed Project Proposal (DPP) will be revised accordingly, said Project Director Abul Kashem Bhuiyan.
Initially, plans included acquiring an additional six acres of private land at Aftabnagar, 18 acres of RAJUK land near Sheikh Hasina Cricket Stadium and Purbachal terminal station, and three acres of private land at Purbachal Terminal.
Documents from a coordination meeting of the Road Transport and Highways Division revealed that the DMTCL authorities sought to acquire 55.19 hectares of land for land acquisition, resettlement, and rehabilitation purposes, rather than the originally planned 39.33 hectares. They proposed adding this extra expenditure to a revised DPP later. However, the Planning Commission did not approve the proposal during a meeting on July 25, and it was returned for modifications.
The additional land was initially intended to provide adequate space for the MRT Line-1's entry-exit points for 12 stations, fire exits, ventilation shafts, and a corridor connecting MRT Line-5. It was also planned for constructing an entry road for the depot, adjusting alignment with Padma Oil, facilitating Transit Oriented Development (TOD), and Station Plaza.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is financing MRT Line-1, with completion scheduled for 2026. The project has an estimated cost of Tk 52,561.43 crore, with the Bangladesh government providing Tk 13,111 crore and Tk 39,450 crore coming from JICA.
MRT Line-1 will span from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kamalapur, completing the journey in just 24 minutes, with stops at 12 underground stations. Twenty-five trains are planned to run at speeds of 90 kilometres per hour, carrying eight lakh passengers daily.
MRT Line-1 will be divided into Airport and Purbachal routes. The Airport route will extend 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 underground section of the project will cover 16.5 kilometres, with the Natun Bazar station connecting to MRT Line-5.
The Purbachal section 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. This 10-kilometer section will feature nine stations, including Natun Bazar and Jamuna Future Park underground stations belonging to the Airport route. The Bashundhara to Purbachal section will be elevated and have seven stations.
