Metro rail to get special police unit

The government is planning to form a separate police unit to ensure security at metro rail stations which are currently under construction.

A proposal for a 809-member unit, "Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Police Force" was approved by the home ministry in March last year. According to the proposal, submitted by Police Headquarters, a total of 104 police outposts will be set up in each stoppage of metro rail.

The home ministry sent the proposal to public administration ministry for its approval of the unit with the mentioned manpower, according to officials.

"The proposal is now pending with public administration ministry," SM Aktaruzzaman, additional DIG (O&M) of Police Headquarters (PHQ), told The Daily Star recently.

Asked about the necessity of setting up police outposts in each stoppage, he said there will be ATM booths, equipment, and small stores in each station.

The new unit will ensure that the establishment remains safe alongside the people passing through, added the police official.

Police Headquarters' initial proposal to the home ministry demanded a manpower of 1,039 officials for the MRT police force.

Following the proposal, the ministry held a meeting on July 16 last year.

Presided over by Additional Secretary (Police & NTMC) of Public Security Division, the meeting approved a manpower of 809 people, and decided that a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) rank officer will be appointed chief of the unit, said ministry sources.

Afterwards a forwarding letter was sent to the public administration ministry on November 12 last year and now it's pending for approval.

Construction work of six metro rail lines is underway at the capital with the government aiming to complete it by 2030.

The six lines will create a 128.74km metro rail network, which will have 104 stations -- 53 underground and 51 elevated, according to Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited.

Additional DIG Aktaruzzaman said initially they had submitted a proposal to the ministry in 2018 demanding an increase in manpower of the existing railway police force.

"But Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project's director wanted a separate police unit for its maintenance. They pursued the higher authorities in this regard," said Aktaruzzaman.

Besides that, the secretary of ministry of the road transport and bridges also sent a letter to the secretary of home ministry requesting formation of a separate MRT police unit on December 19, 2018.

As metro rail is a novel concept in the country and a high profile transit project, a special unit is necessary to maintain order, said police officials.

"The prime minister was also interested in the formation of a special MRT police unit and we are hopeful we'll get the approval soon," said Aktaruzzaman.

But it will still take some time to get the unit functioning, as a new unit also needs a law and curriculum, he added.

The MRT police unit proposal also includes setting up sub-headquarters in each of the metro rail depot and sub-office at interchange spots.

Among the manpower, the unit will have one additional DIG, three superintendent of police, four additional SP, three assistant superintendent of police, 14 inspectors, 21 sub-inspectors, 74 assistant sub-inspectors, 25 nayek and 639 constables, reads the proposal.

The unit also proposed for approval of 96 different types of vehicles. The annual expenditure of the unit will be around 39.72 crore Tk, the proposal added.

MRT line-6, which connects Uttara with Motijheel, is expected to be completed by December 2021.

MRT line-1 will connect Kamalapur with Shahjalal International Airport. This will be the first underground metro rail system, expected to be completed by 2026.

Line-5's northern route will run from Hemayetpur of Savar to Bhatara via Gabtoli, Mirpur and Gulshan, consisting underground and elevated sections. This is expected to be completed in 2028.

The southern route will connect Gabtoli with Purba Dasherkandi consisting underground and elevated sections. The expected deadline is 2030.

MRT line-2, which will be both elevated and underground, will link Gabtoli to Chattogram Road via Kamalapur. Kamalapur will be connected with Narayanganj by the underground MRT line-4.