Special police unit to ensure metro rail security: PM

Putting emphasis on ensuring the security of metro rail project, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said a special police unit will be formed to this end.

The prime minister was speaking at a review meeting on the progress of the ongoing Mass Rapid Transit Project held at her official residence Gono Bhaban.

At the meeting, the premier saw a power-point presentation on the progress of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line 6, MRT Line 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 being implemented by the government owned Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd in collaboration with Jica.

The prime minister also gave some specific directives and guidelines to the authorities concerned to accommodate those in the implementation process.

Besides, she directed Chief Executive of the National Security Council Asaduzzaman Mia to look into the problems of extension of the MRT Line 6 from Motijheel to Kamalapur.

The meeting was informed that about 46 percent of the Uttara-Agargaon part and 24 percent of the Agargaon-Motijheel part of the MRT Line-6 have been completed so far.

DMTCL Managing Director MAN Siddique said the overall progress of works of the MRT Line 6 is 30 percent, while works on construction of viaduct with Parapet Wall on Uttara-Motijheel part is nearing completion.

MAN Siddique assured the prime minister of completing the works of MRT Line 6 starting from Uttara to Motijheel via Agargaon by December 2021.

During the meeting, the DMTCL authorities also apprised the prime minister of the time-bound plans of completing the MRT Lines works by the year 2030 to ensure modern elevated and underground rail networks across Dhaka city.

Once done, they hoped, people in the capital city will have most modern and sophisticated metro rail system like other major cities around the world.