Special Correspondent

Modern public transport Metro Rail has come as a blessing to the slow city of Dhaka.

Now the passengers going to Uttara, Mirpur and Motijheel are constantly traveling for various needs, including offices, avoiding traffic jams in a short time. Metro Rail has become an indispensable and safe transport for them. However, the passengers of other routes claim that all Dhaka residents want to get this facility of metro rail.

Mohaiminul Haque lives in Rampura area and worked in a private company. He regrets why there is no such metro in his area. Mohaiminul told this correspondent "Metrorail is a blessing for Dhaka." Even though I am in Rampura, I have traveled to office by metro. Such a great transport system. I am waiting for when the metro rail will come in my area.

Sohan lives in Badda Link Road; Studied at Dhaka University. Because of this, he sometimes rides the metro. Go to Uttara Diabari with friends. Sohan said, "I passed the MRT despite not being a regular passenger of the Metrorail. Sometimes I even go to Uttara with my friends on the metro. I could not have imagined going to Uttara in such a short time. Bringing the entire city of Dhaka under the metro rail will bring a radical change in the communication system of the capital. People's time will also be saved.

According to the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which implements the Metrorail project, MRT Line-6 was initially planned to be built up to Motijheel, but later it was extended to Kamalapur. The Metrorail project is expected to be completed by 2025 with the construction of Motijheel to Kamalapur section. Besides, 4 more routes are proposed for the project, which include MRT Line-1, 2, 4 and 5.

MRT Line-1 is another important route for Dhaka residents under the Metrorail project. MRT Line-1, will be constructed on two different routes. The 'Airport Rail Link' line will run from Kamalapur via the airport to Gazipur, the route will also have an underground station. The second route of this line will run from Baridhara to Purbachal, which will be known as the 'Purbachal Route'. Both routes of MRT Line-1 are expected to be completed in 2026. MRT Line-4 will go from Kamalapur Railway Station to Narayanganj. Its construction is expected to be completed in 2030. MRT Line-2 will run from Gabtali to Chittagong Road. Its construction is expected to be completed in 2030.

Meanwhile, in an event a few days ago, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the construction of several more metro railways to ease traffic congestion in Dhaka. He said, as the country is developing, people's activities are increasing. We have to keep pace with modernity. Therefore, a plan has been taken to construct several more metro railways for the commuters of the capital. Some of it will go up, some will go down.

According to DMTCL sources, the construction of three more metrorails is ongoing in Dhaka. When all the lines are operational, the citizens of the capital will be able to fully enjoy the benefits of this project. It was assumed that the rate of private car purchase will decrease if the metro rail. Evidence of this can be found in reality.

Maidul Haque regularly works from Mirpur to Motijheel. He told this correspondent, 'It became impossible to go to the office by bus from Mirpur-11. It used to be suffocating due to severe traffic jams and heavy crowds. I thought I would buy a motorcycle. But I dropped the thought of buying a car by riding the metro rail. Even if it is crowded, I don't have any problem. If it goes like this, it will be a waste for me to spend money and buy a motorcycle.

Talking to the passengers, it is also known that everyone is waiting to get the full benefits of Metrorail. Then many people will travel by metro instead of buses and private cars. Saidur Rahman works regularly in Motijheel from Kawla of the airport. He demanded to extend the time of metro rail and said, "Because of metro rail, I can go to Motijheel in a short time. But since the office ends after 10 pm, I cannot take the metro rail to return home. Forced to go by bus.

Such a big project was created keeping in mind the civic benefits; But it is not comprehensive. It takes 15 minutes to come to the office, it takes one and a half to two hours to go home. So Saidur thinks that the metro rail should be kept open from 11 pm to 12 pm.

Faisal Ahmed's office Karwan Bazar. Roster duty is required for employment in private institutions. That is why the office closes after 11 pm 3-4 days a week. He returned to Uttara home by bus or any other transport as the metro rail service was closed at that time.

Faisal said, "After the introduction of metro rail in this traffic-congested city, some relief has returned. Earlier it used to take about 2-3 hours on the way to and from the office. It doesn't take that much time as the Metrorail has started. However, I am not getting the full benefit yet. I can come to office but I can't go home. Considering the demand of passengers, metro rail timings should be extended.

At present metro rail is running from Uttara North to Motijheel. Passengers can travel by metro rail from 16 stations from 7 am to 8 pm. Although they are relieved to travel in a short time, they are not relieved in the return journey without increasing the time. Passengers demand that metro rail running time should be extended.

Talked to DMTCL General Manager (GM) Iftekhar Hossain about this. He said, 'Metrorail will run from dawn to midnight. We have this plan. We've only just begun. Do everything right and then move on. But it is not possible to say when I will be able to do it. Metrorail will even run seven days a week. It will take some time to get to that stage. All the metrorails of the world started like this.

Meanwhile, many commuters expressed their satisfaction with the comfort of the Metrorail. And authorities say, new facilities are being added to provide additional convenience to metro station users in their daily commute. Talked to Iqbal Khandkar, a passenger working in a pharmaceutical company. He told this representative, "Metrorail is a blessing for the people of Dhaka." As you can go from one place to another in such a quick time, there will never be a shortage of passengers in this transport.

A businessman named Amirul Biswas said, 'I took the metro from Uttara to go to Gulistan. Get down at Secretariat station and then go to destination. Have to walk some distance. But even then I can leave the bus much earlier. I have never had such a comfortable ride in any transport before. I can go very easily without traffic jam.

Meanwhile, despite the crowd, many are climbing in piles. A sixty-year-old man named Farooq Mia said, "There is no problem here even though there is a crowd like a bus." There is no problem of sudden braking. If you can stand it, it will go away. It seems that I am standing on the ground.

A university student named Tarek Kazi from Mirpur-10 said, "The time of the bus was unknown." If I boarded the bus at 8 am, I would be able to get down at Shahbagh at exactly what time, there was no fixed time. Sometimes both classes are missed. Now ride the metro rail and reach Shahbagh in 10 minutes.

Talking to DMTCL Manager Mahfuzur Rahman about the benefits of metro rail, it is learnt that new facilities are being added to provide additional convenience to metro station users in their daily commute. ATM booth is sitting in station after digibox. Several public and private banks will be added to this list gradually. Small shops will be installed in passenger facilities. And soon the process of renting station plazas at Farmgate and Karavanbazar will also start.

Over 15 million people will be able to travel easily if the metro rail can be launched in full swing in Dhaka.

Besides, people's daily life will be accelerated and the economy will have a positive impact.