Dhaka Metro rail to resume services on Saturday
No major damage found in viaduct
Monday, 12 August 2024
The Dhaka Metro Rail is scheduled to open to the public on Saturday said the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). A trial run will be conducted two days prior to the official opening, reports bdnews24.com.
The service had been halted previously due to attacks by perpetrators during the quota reform movement
The company's Managing Director MAN Siddique said that the operation of the train services may take a maximum of one week.
Amid quota movement on Jul 18, the DMTCL halted the urban transportation system in the evening after a police box under the footbridge at Mirpur-10 roundabout and beneath the metro rail line was set on fire. Mirpur-10 and Kazipara stations were vandalised the following day.
Earlier our corresponded reported a committee, formed to assess the damage and its cost in the vandalism on Mirpur 10 and Kazipara stations, has completed inspection but is yet to submit the report.
"It will take few more days to submit the report" said one of them on anonymity.
But he said the metro rail operation from Uttara to Motijheel can be resumed without the two stations as no such damage was found in the viaduct.
He also said the viaduct which was assumed might be affected due to setting fire on a footover bridge under the viaduct at Mirpur 10 is also save as the fire did not go up due to a shed over the footover bridge.
The report committee which was supposed to be submitted within 10 working days, however, was delayed due to closure of weekdays for declaring national holidays since the unrest situation spread amid student-led quota reform movement, official said.
The FE tried to talk with managing director of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited at his office on Thursday but he refused to comment before the new government is formed. After the student-led quota reform movement went on peak, a group of unruly people set on fire to a footover bridge under the viaduct of the Mirpur-10 on July 18.
But another group numbering several hundred attacked Mirpur 10 and Kazipara stations next day and damaged almost all valuable machinery and equipments on the concourse floors amid lack of adequate security force.
The DMTCL shut the entire metro rail named MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) showing ground of safety and security for indefinite period.