Construction work for first underground metro rail may resume soon

The construction of the country’s first underground metro rail project has remained virtually stalled for the past one and a half years. Although work began in 2022, the project failed to progress due to various complications. However, since the new government assumed office, initiatives have been observed to move the project forward again.

A meeting between the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is scheduled to take place on Tuesday (10 March). In the meeting, a new plan could be finalised to resume the stalled work of the project.

According to sources at the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, and those involved with the project, discussions about the project have resumed following the removal of the managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). The government is giving importance to the metro rail project to reduce traffic congestion in the capital.

The proposal for the country’s first underground metro rail construction was prepared in 2018, with an initial cost estimation of Tk52,561 crore.

However, after the tender process was completed in 2023, the project cost increased to nearly Tk96,500 crore. In other words, the cost rose by about 85% even before construction began. The rise in prices of construction materials and the depreciation of the Bangladeshi taka against the US dollar were cited as the main reasons.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam said that the metro rail work had been halted for various reasons. Those issues have now been discussed, and initiatives have been taken to restart the work.

Transport expert and BUET professor Moazzem Hossain said that the metro rail is extremely important for the capital’s public transportation system, and therefore the project should be completed quickly.

Project-related sources said that complications arose in the tender process due to some conditions set by JICA and additional financial demands from contractors. Several letters were exchanged between JICA and DMTCL regarding the matter.

According to project documents, the 31.24-kilometer route from Kanchan Bridge to Kamalapur in the capital will be known as Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-1. Of this, 19.87 kilometers will run underground, while the remaining 11.37 kilometers will be elevated. Once completed in 2026, about 800,000 passengers would be able to travel daily. This would help reduce traffic congestion, fossil fuel consumption, and travel time.

Preparatory work for the project began in 2019. At that time, detailed surveys, design work, and land acquisition were completed. Preparations were taken to construct a depot on 93 acres of land in Rupganj, Narayanganj. The appointment of a consulting firm to supervise the work was also nearly finalized.

A senior official of the organization, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The metro rail work had been progressing at a normal pace. However, the interim government started delaying cooperation with Japan for some reason, and the recently departed managing director also contributed to the slowdown. As a result, the metro rail work did not move forward. But the current government is quite interested in important projects like the metro rail. Several meetings have already been held, and the construction work will soon regain its normal pace.”