Five metro rail stations to be built from Uttara to Tongi

The MRT-6 extension project in Dhaka will set up five metro rail stations from Uttara North to Tongi Railway Station, says MAN Siddique, managing director of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited, reports bdnews24.com.
These stations will be located at Diabari Bazar, the east and west of Sonargaon Township Road, Tongi Bazar, and Tongi Rail Station, he said while speaking at an event about the expansion at the Intercontinental Hotel on Sunday.
Once the route is operational, it will take 48 minutes to travel from Tongi to Kamalapur. Once the 7.5-km-long section opens an additional 500,000 passengers will be able to use the service.
During construction on the MRT-6 line, an additional kilometre of road was built from Diabari in consideration of the future, Siddique had said at a press conference recently. Connecting the Tongi Rail Station and the road junction will increase the benefit to local residents, he said.
Siddique claimed the metro rail route had reduced traffic congestion.
"The plan was to take the route to Ashulia, but this new decision was taken because of the Dhaka-Ashulia Expressway.
Currently work is ongoing on extending the route from Motijheel to the Kamalapur Railway Station. Metro rail authorities have also started the process of extending the route from Uttara North to Tongi Railway Station.
On Dec 28, 2022, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Uttara to Agargaon section of the long-awaited mass transit project. The Agargaon to Motijheel section was inaugurated on Nov 4 last year.
The 16 stations from Uttara to Motijheel were opened on the last day of the year. From Jan 20 this year, trains have been running on the Uttara-Motijheel section.
Metro rail trains leave at eight-minute intervals during peak hours. Efforts are underway to speed that up to five minutes.
UNB adds: expressing dissatisfaction over the NBR's move to impose 15 per cent VAT on people-friendly Metro rail, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday said he requested the Prime Minister to reconsider the plan.
"I have talked to the Prime Minister about the NBR's VAT plan, this is not right decision, it is wrong. Is there any VAT on metro rail in India? No, so why is it here? It can't happen as it will ruin the image of the metro rail," he said while speaking at a seminar on metro-rail branding, as the chief guest in the city.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) organised the seminar at a city hotel.
Expressing annoyance over the plying of dilapidated and rundown vehicles on Dhaka roads, the minister said "Beautiful and latest model cars and jeeps are plying Dhaka streets. Why the buses are in dilapidated condition?"
He sought cooperation from the two Dhaka mayors to take away these obsolete vehicles.