Economic Reporter :
The government today signed an agreement with a Japanese firm to launch the major phase of construction works for the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), more known as metro rail, from April.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to launch the construction works of the main depot of the metro rail in last week of April,” Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told newsmen as he witnessed the signing ceremony at Sonargaon Hotel.
He said the MRT project would be partly completed by 2019 connecting Uttara to Agargaon while officials familiar with the process said the rest of the project was expected to be implemented in two subsequent years with construction of overhead railway tracks covering most parts.
The officials said one would reach in 38 minutes from Uttara to Motijheel Shapla Chattar while the metro rail trains would make stopovers at 16 stations.
These stations, they said, are Uttara North, Uttara Centre, Uttara South, Pallabi, Mirpur 11, Mirpur 10, Kazipara, Sheorapara, Agargaon, Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Karwanbazar, Shahbagh, Dhaka University, Bangladesh Secretariat and Motijheel.
Under the plan, the metro rails would be available in every five minutes, enabling 60,000
commuters to use the facility in every one hour.
The cost for 20.10 kilometre long MRT has been estimated to be Taka 22,000 crore, of which Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would provide Taka 16,500 crore as soft loan.
Bangladesh today entrusted Japan’s Tokyu Construction Company Limited with the task of constructing the main depot in Uttara developing the land in next 25 months involving Taka 567 crore.
Managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) Mohammad Mofazzel Hossain and general manager of the Japanese company Hiroshi Asakami signed the contract.
Members of the parliamentary standing committee on road transport and bridges ministry Ekabbar Ali and Nazmul Haque Pradhan, secretary of the ministry MAN Siddique, Japanese ambassador in Dhaka Masato.
Watanabe and JICA’s chief representative in Dhaka Mikio Hataeda also joined the ceremony.
DTCA Executive director M Kaikobad Hossain chaired the function.
The government today signed an agreement with a Japanese firm to launch the major phase of construction works for the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), more known as metro rail, from April.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to launch the construction works of the main depot of the metro rail in last week of April,” Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told newsmen as he witnessed the signing ceremony at Sonargaon Hotel.
He said the MRT project would be partly completed by 2019 connecting Uttara to Agargaon while officials familiar with the process said the rest of the project was expected to be implemented in two subsequent years with construction of overhead railway tracks covering most parts.
The officials said one would reach in 38 minutes from Uttara to Motijheel Shapla Chattar while the metro rail trains would make stopovers at 16 stations.
These stations, they said, are Uttara North, Uttara Centre, Uttara South, Pallabi, Mirpur 11, Mirpur 10, Kazipara, Sheorapara, Agargaon, Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Karwanbazar, Shahbagh, Dhaka University, Bangladesh Secretariat and Motijheel.
Under the plan, the metro rails would be available in every five minutes, enabling 60,000
commuters to use the facility in every one hour.
The cost for 20.10 kilometre long MRT has been estimated to be Taka 22,000 crore, of which Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) would provide Taka 16,500 crore as soft loan.
Bangladesh today entrusted Japan’s Tokyu Construction Company Limited with the task of constructing the main depot in Uttara developing the land in next 25 months involving Taka 567 crore.
Managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) Mohammad Mofazzel Hossain and general manager of the Japanese company Hiroshi Asakami signed the contract.
Members of the parliamentary standing committee on road transport and bridges ministry Ekabbar Ali and Nazmul Haque Pradhan, secretary of the ministry MAN Siddique, Japanese ambassador in Dhaka Masato.
Watanabe and JICA’s chief representative in Dhaka Mikio Hataeda also joined the ceremony.
DTCA Executive director M Kaikobad Hossain chaired the function.
