B'DESH PM HASINA OPENS LANDMARK METRO RAIL TO EASE TRAFFIC JAMS IN DHAKA

On December 28 last year, Bangladesh inaugurated its inaugural metro rail service, with crucial support from Japan, in a bid to ameliorate the challenging commuting conditions in Dhaka, a city known for its severe traffic congestion and one of the most congested in the world.

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina celebrated a momentous occasion on Saturday as she inaugurated the second phase of the overhead metro rail service in Dhaka, a vital step toward alleviating the city’s notorious traffic congestion. Dhaka has gained a dubious reputation as the world’s slowest city due to its perennial traffic jams. The new metro rail line, which runs between Uttara and Motijheel, boasts eight stations and spans a distance of 9.53 kilometers. The project has been a collaborative effort with substantial technical and financial support from Japan.

The first phase of the metro rail service was launched on December 28th the previous year, with the aim of improving the commuting experience in Dhaka, one of the most congested cities globally. The operation of the service has been entrusted to the state-owned Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL). The completion of the second phase represents a significant milestone in this ambitious infrastructure project.

Prime Minister Hasina, expressing her delight at the opening of the metro rail service, emphasized the positive impact it would have on the city’s traffic situation. “Today, we’re so delighted,” she remarked. Commuters can now traverse a 20-kilometer distance from Uttara to Motijheel, the city’s bustling business district, in just over 30 minutes, a substantial improvement from the more than an hour usually required during non-peak hours. During rush hours, the journey often took as long as two and a half hours by road.