The first metro rail in Bangladesh was inaugurated in Dhaka by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday. The train was flagged off in Dhaka for its first journey between Diabari and Agargaon station.
This is part of the ambitious Bangladesh project of Mass Rapid Transit to be completed by 2030. Our Dhaka correspondent reports that Bangladesh entered another glorious era in its developmental journey today with the inauguration of the metro rail in Dhaka.
The approximately 12-kilometre-long metro route which was opened today will connect Diabari to Agargaon station in Dhaka. Ten pairs of trains with 6 six coaches each will run on this route initially for 4 hours carrying about 5 lakh passengers daily.
Inaugurating the metro line in Dhaka today, Prime Minister Hasina said that with the opening of the country’s first-ever metro rail, another feather was added to the crown of Bangalee’s pride and Bangladesh’s development.
She said, it is a great achievement for Bangladesh being the first high-speed rail service with a top speed of 110 kilometres per hour. It is also the first time that Bangladesh will be running an electric train in the country which is environmentally safe.
Built with financial and technical support from Japan, the metro rail network after completion in 2030 will cover a total length of 129 kilometres out of which 61 kilometres will be underground.