Nippon Koei to supervise work of metro rail Line-5

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), the implementing agency of metro rail projects, yesterday signed a contract with a consortium of agencies both foreign and Bangladesh for general consultancy services for Line-5 (Northern Route) of the Mass Rapid Transit Development project.

DMTCL's Managing Director MAN Siddique; Ken Nishino, acting director of Nippon Koei Co Ltd; and Eiji Yonezawa, president of Oriental Consultant Global Co Ltd signed the contract on behalf their companies online.

"This may be first time in Bangladesh such a major and international deal was signed virtually, due to the prevailing situation," an official said.

Under the contract of TK 1,600 crore including VAT and other charges, the consortium -- led by reputed Japanese firm Nippon Koei -- will prepare detailed designs and tender documents to procure a contractor and supervise the construction works of the project.

The MRT-5 (northern route), from Savar's Hemayetpur to Bhatara via Gabtoli, Mirpur and Gulshan, would be implemented at an estimated cost of Tk 41,239 crore, of which Japan will finance around Tk 29,000 crore.

The 20km line with 14 stations will consist of underground and elevated sections.

The project, that commits to a 2028 deadline, would be the first east-west MRT corridor in Bangladesh.

Once completed, it would be the third metro rail in the country.

The physical works of MRT-6, the country's first metro rail project, from Uttara to Motijheel, is going on, while the construction of MRT-1, which would be the country's first underground metro rail, from Airport road to Kamalapur, is expected to begin in December this year.

The government will construct six metro rails in the capital and its adjacent areas to ease traffic congestion and reduce environmental pollution. The 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, the agency implementing the project.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and Japanese ambassador to Bangladesh ITO Naoki joined the signing ceremony through videoconference, according to a press release of the ministry.

Road Transport and Highway Division Secretary Nazrul Islam, JICA's chief representative to Bangladesh, Yuho Hayakawa and Project Director Aftab Hossain Khan also took part the programme from their respective offices.