Metro rail to be opened on 28 December
The inauguration will start with a grand ceremony at the BICC in the Agargaon area and people from home will join the event
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the metro rail services on the Uttara to Agargaon route on 28 December.
Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader disclosed the information after a party meeting at AL president's Dhanmondi office Thursday evening.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited Managing Director MAN Siddique said the PM will get on the metro train at the Agargaon station and travel up to Uttara North station. Then she will open a plaque at the Uttara station area.
The inauguration will start with a grand ceremony at the BICC in the Agargaon area and people from home will join the event, he added.
"We have started preparation for the opening ceremony earlier and we are able to complete the remaining works to arrange a memorable ceremony for the countryman," he maintained.
MAN Siddique also said that initially, the metro rail will run in a limited range. Passengers per train will be below capacity. The number of trains will also be less. Trains will stop for longer periods at each station.
He added that the trains will run at full capacity after three months after getting launched.
The metro line, which will come into full operation in June 2024, will be able to transport nearly five lakh passengers a day, or 16,000 per hour in any one direction.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the BRTC to operate shuttle bus services from Agargaon to Motijheel, to reduce the hassles of metro rail passengers.
In September this year, the government declared the fare chart of the metro rail at Tk5 for each kilometre with a minimum fare of Tk20.
Metro rail commuters will get a 10% discount by paying fares on the rapid pass or MRT pass which will be issued by the DMTCL.