Metro moment is finally here

Bangladesh enters a new era in communication today with the launch of its first metro rail, promising fast, reliable, and safe commute in a traffic-choked Dhaka.

The new mode of public transport comes at a time when buses, autorickshaws, rickshaws, and taxis failed to meet the service quality desired by more than 20 million in the city.

Dhaka, which grew exponentially over the years, earned notoriety for its unbridled traffic congestion caused by poorly managed rickety public vehicles and inefficient traffic management.

The metro rail, albeit a heavy investment project, is expected to help ease the perennial problems of congestion and pollution.

Metro rail is finally ready to serve the city dwellers, overcoming myriad challenges, including frequent changes in the design right from the beginning. Besides, the Holey Artisan café attack in 2016 and the pandemic also caused major setbacks to the project.

Hundreds of experts, engineers and workers toiled to make the project and the grand opening a success.

The city dwellers, who endured immense sufferings due to the construction work, are excited and curious to see the roll-out of the highly technical transport system.

Bangladesh is the third country in South Asia to have metro rail after India and Pakistan. India introduced its first 3.4km underground metro rail in Kolkata in 1984 while Pakistan launched its mostly-elevated metro line in Lahore in October 2020.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the service at the playground of Uttara sector-15 at 11:00am today.

A 12km section, from Uttara to Agargaon, of the 21.26km MRT Line-6 will be opened today. The line up to Motijheel will be inaugurated a year from now.

People will be able to avail themselves of the service for four hours from 8:00am tomorrow. They will get trains every 10 minutes, but it will eventually come down to every three and a half to four minutes.