How the metro rail changed the life of Uttara and Mirpur residents

Sharif Mahbubur Rahman, a contractor by profession, lives in Uttara's House Building area. His work requires him to frequently travel to Motijheel.

Before the metro rail was opened, it used to take him nearly four hours to reach Motijheel from Utttara. A whole day was wasted on the commute. 

Now, it takes Sharif  20 minutes to reach the Uttara North station from home, via a BRTC bus or Leguna. From there, it is a 30-minute ride to Motijheel. 

"With the extra time now, I can go shopping, take my children to school and even put extra time into my business," he said, sounding particularly relieved.   

The metro rail was inaugurated in Dhaka in December 2022 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. That year, the Diabari-Agargaon route was opened. In November 2023, the PM inaugurated the second phase from Agargaon to Motijheel. 

In the ever-congested Dhaka city, the Uttara-Motijheel route has made many city dwellers' lives easy. Traffic congestion on the Mirpur-Agargaon-Farmgate-Motijheel route has also decreased. 

According to authorities, at present, around 2.3 lakh to 2.4 lakh passengers are using the metro daily. Out of the six compartments, one is only for female passengers.

Although bus owners are complaining about the loss of passengers, restaurant businesses as well as building constructions in Diabari are rapidly growing. 

Riadul Jannat is a medical officer at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). Before the metro, he used ride-sharing bikes to reach his workplace and it would take him more than an hour to come from Mirpur-10.  

"Every day, I had to spend around Tk400 on my commute. It has gone down to Tk100," he said. 

According to him, the bike rides were like nightmares. "It was dusty and so uncomfortable. After getting down, my whole body would hurt."    

Now it takes him only 15 minutes to reach BSMMU from Mirpur-10. In fact, he now even has time to take a relaxed shower in the morning before leaving the house. 

Other Mirpur dwellers like Abdul Majed are elated with the metro rail. The 30-year-old works for Delta Hospital in Mirpur-1 and lives in Mirpur-14. 

For the last few days, he has been travelling from Mirpur-10 to Shahbagh for treatment at BSMMU. What used to be a one-hour journey has been cut short to around 15 minutes. 

"I bought the Rapid Pass two months ago so I do not have to stand in a queue to buy tickets," he said, adding, "In the past, I had to keep at least two hours in hand before going somewhere and now it is 40 minutes." 

Growing businesses in Diabari 

Locals shared that even a few years ago, Diabari under Turag Police Station was a remote area. It was mostly deserted and even during the day, people thought twice before coming here. Communication was poor and robberies and mugging were quite common. 

After the construction of the metro rail, people from different parts of the city started visiting Diabari. What was once a semi-rural area has now become a tourist attraction. Rows of food shops and restaurants have been erected along the Uttara North station.  

"Trains loaded with passengers are coming and going all the time," said Kabul Hossain, a resident of the area. He said that the Uttara North station experiences heavy crowds throughout the week, except on Fridays. 

Saturdays witness a surge in the number of people, resulting in the station becoming particularly crowded. The area around the station is bustling with activity until 8 pm.

"If the trains ran on Fridays, god knows how many people would have come!" he said. 

Construction of residential buildings as well as commercial structures near the station is also going in full swing. More people are showing interest in living in Diabari because of the metro rail. 

Monir Hossain, an employee of the Shurja Dighal Bari restaurant in Diabari, was waiting for customers next to the station. He was born and raised in Tongi. He remembers when he was a child, sometimes he would take a boat to come to Diabari to visit his aunt.  

He said that the place was originally a jheel (a large area of freshwater) and boro paddy was cultivated around it. Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) acquired the area and sold it to different people as plots. Years later came the metro rail project.

"On Saturdays, our sales are so high that it feels like Eid for us," said Monir.   

He shared that the monthly rent of the two-storied Shurja Dighal Bari restaurant is now Tk95,000. But house rent in the area is still low compared to other parts of the city. 

The price of land in Diabari has increased manifold over the last 15 years. In 2005 or 2007 when Rajuk acquired the area, one katha land was sold at Tk40,000 to Tk50,000. These days, however, it stands at around Tk1.5 to Tk2 crore. 

Bus businesses feel the pinch

Mirpur-12 is one of the most important bus stops in Mirpur. It is usually packed with buses and passengers. However, on our visit last Wednesday afternoon, there were only a few. 

The metro rail has significantly reduced traffic congestion on the Mirpur-Agargaon-Farmgate-Motijheel route. The roads below the metro rail route from Uttara North to Motijheel have also become smoother. 

Mohammad Shamim, a driver of Bikalpa bus, said, "We are incurring losses because of the metro rail. Now, only 25-30 passengers ride the bus daily."  

Originally, Bikalpa's route was from Mirpur-12 to Motijheel. With the opening of the metro rail route to Motijheel, the bus company has been compelled to change its route to Jatrabari. 

Other buses including Bihanga and Mirpur Super Link Ltd were also waiting for passengers at the Pallabi bus stand for a long time.  

Another driver, Mohammad Nadim, said that in the past they could earn Tk2,700-Tk2,800 for a single trip from Pallabi to Motijheel. Now they can earn a maximum of Tk1,400-Tk1,500.