With massive cost escalations in areas such as consultancy and electro-mechanical systems, the government may revise the MRT-6 project for the third time tomorrow (Monday), extending the timeline by three years, officials said on Saturday.
Despite the proposed removal of four station plazas -- a key income-generating component -- the Dhaka Mass Transport Company Limited (DMTCL) has sought approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for the revised project, officials added.
The company has requested additional funds under the third revision: Tk 3.0 million for honorarium, Tk 2.70 billion for foreign loan repayment, and Tk 8.0 million for computers and accessories.
The Planning Commission (PC) is expected to place the revised MRT-6 proposal before ECNEC for approval.
In the third revision, DMTCL has reduced the total project cost by Tk 7.54 billion, bringing it down to Tk 327.17 billion from Tk 334.72 billion in the second revision.
However, the revised cost remains significantly higher than the original ECNEC-approved estimate of Tk 219.85 billion from December 2012.
Some Planning Commission officials have expressed reservations over spending on less critical components, but these were endorsed by the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) and forwarded for ECNEC approval.
Interestingly, the proposed DPP cuts the four station plazas -- initially intended to generate income and reduce the gap between revenue and expenditure -- saving Tk 13.76 billion.
Conversely, costs have increased for consultancy, honorarium, loan repayment, computer equipment, and house rent. Consultancy costs alone have risen by Tk 2.23 billion in the third revision.
The project deadline is proposed to be extended by three years, up to December 2028, from the current December 2025 schedule.
The Uttara-Motijheel section (20.1 km) of MRT-6, inaugurated in December 2022, is already operational, while work continues on the 1.16 km Motijheel-Kamalapur extension. Cost reductions in government funding are partly due to less land acquisition at several stations, saving Tk 12.12 billion, along with other proposed savings.
Originally approved by ECNEC in December 2012 at Tk 219.85 billion, with JICA contributing Tk 165.94 billion in loans, the MRT-6 line's extension to Kamalapur raised the estimated cost to Tk 334.72 billion in the previous revision.
According to DMTCL, as of June 2025, physical progress on the Uttara-Motijheel section is 99.40 per cent, while the Motijheel-Kamalapur section stands at 63.15 per cent.
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