Special police unit to ensure metro rail security, says PM

Progress of MRT project reviewed

FE Team | Published: September 16, 2019 23:48:35

Putting emphasis on ensuring the security of metro rail project, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Monday a special police unit will be formed to this end, reports UNB.
The Prime Minister was speaking at a review meeting on the progress of the ongoing Mass Rapid Transit Project held at her official residence Ganobhaban.
At the meeting, the Prime Minister witnessed a power-point presentation on the progress of MRT Line 6, MRT Line 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 being implemented by the government owned Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Company Ltd in collaboration with JICA.
Managing Director of the DMTCL MAN Siddique made the power-point presentation on progress of the implementation of the 'Time Bound Action Plan 2030 for Construction of the MRT Lines in Dhaka City and its adjoining areas'.
The Prime Minister also gave some specific directives and guidelines to the authorities concerned to accommodate those in the implementation process.
Besides, she directed Chief Executive of the National Security Council Asaduzzaman Mia to look into the problems of extension of the MRT Line 6 from Motijheel to Kamalapur.
The meeting was informed that about 46 per cent of the Uttara-Agargaon part and 24 per cent of the Agargaon-Motijheel part of the MRT Line-6 have been completed so far.
The DMTCL Managing Director said the overall progress of works of the MRT Line -6 is 30 per cent, while works on construction of viaduct with Parapet Wall on Uttara-Motijheel part is nearing completion.
MAN Siddique assured the Prime Minister of completing the works of MRT Line -6 starting from Uttara to Motijheel via Agargaon by December 2021.
During the meeting, the DMTCL authorities also apprised the Prime Minister of the time-bound plans of completing the MRT Lines works by the year 2030 to ensure modern elevated and underground rail networks across Dhaka city.
Once done, they hoped, people in the capital city will have most modern and sophisticated metro rail system like other modern and big cities around the world.
The 20.10-km MRT Line-6 will run from Uttara and pass through Pallabi, the west side of Rokeya Sarani and Farmgate, Hotel Sonargaon, Intercontinental Hotel, TSC of Dhaka University, Doel Chattar, Topkhana Road and Bangladesh Bank.
The fast-moving metro rail will carry 60,000 passengers in an hour touching every station once in every four minutes.
There will be 16 stations and those are Uttara North, Central and South, Pallabi, Mirpur-11, Mirpur-10, Kazipara, Taltala, Agargaon, Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Sonargaon, National Museum, Doyel Chattar, Bangabandhu National Stadium and Bangladesh Bank.