Mrt-5 North: Physical work to begin by August

The construction work of MRT-5, a 20 km rail line with 14 stations connecting Hemayetpur and Bhatara via Gabtoli, Mirpur and Gulshan, is likely to begin by August, officials of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) said ahead of a planned contract signing to start land development work of the project on Tuesday.

The land development package of MRT-5 North depot has been awarded to TOA Corporation of Japan and Spectra Group of Bangladesh recently.

“We have plans of starting the land development work by the end of July or first of August. We will invite Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to inaugurate the ground breaking ceremony. Before that, there are some formalities to be completed after the contract signing programme,” MRT-5 Project Director Aftab Hossain Khan said.

The land development work for the depot at Savar’s Hemayetpur would be the first contract to start construction of Hemayetpur-Bhatara metro rail line. DMTCL, the implementing authority, is on a schedule to complete the 20-kilometre MRT 5 North line by 2028.

However, the metro rail authorities and the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) are in a tussle over the route alignment of MRT-5 even though the land development work is planned to begin within months.

The RHD has reservations over the metro rail alignment between Hemayetpur and Aminbazar as it would hamper RHD’s Dhaka-Aricha highway development plan.

The MRT-5 project director said the Road Transport and Highways Division will solve the problem.

“We had several discussions so far. The ministry high ups are involved. They will solve the issue before the physical work begins,” he said.

The planned metro route will have both underground and elevated parts. It will connect Hemayetpur and Bhatara via Gabtoli.

The first 5.6 kilometres viaduct section starting from Hemayetpur will reach Amin Bazar touching Baliarpur, Bilanalia stations. The 13.5 kilometres underground section will start from Gabtoli to Natun Bazar. It would go through Darus Salam,, Mirpur-1, Mirpur-10, Mirpur-14, Kochukhet, Banani and Gulshan-2.