Metro rail route-5 (northern) deal signed

The government is going to build another metro rail route to increase the east-west connectivity of Dhaka city. An agreement was signed today to hire a consultant to oversee the detailed design and construction of a 20 km long route from Hemayetpur to Gabtali-Mirpur 10-Kachukhet-Banani-Gulshan 2 to Bhatara.

Minister for Road Transport and Bridges and General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League, Obaidul Quader, and Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, Ito Naoki, joined the signing ceremony through video conferencing.

Obaidul Quader said, "The government is going to build six metro rail routes including flyovers and subways by 2030 to reduce traffic congestion in Dhaka city and surrounding areas. The feasibility study of the northern part of Route-5 from Hemayetpur to Bhatara has already been completed."

He said, "Of the 20 km long route, 13 and a half kilometers will be subway and six and a half kilometers will be flyover. The construction of this route will cost around Tk 41,000 crore. The Japanese government will fund around Tk 29,000 crore." 

The minister also said, "45 per cent of the construction of Metro Route-6 which will run from Uttara to Motijheel, has been completed. The pace of the work has further increased. Ten kilometers of viaduct and one kilometer of rail line have already been laid on this route."

MAN Siddique, Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd and Ken Nishino, Acting Director of Nippon Koei Company signed the agreement.