DU for alternative route

Dhaka University (DU) authorities yesterday proposed an alternative route for the city's proposed elevated (partially) railway that goes over the campus from Shahbagh to Chankharpool.
The railway route is planned to run from Shahbagh intersection through TSC, the Central Shaheed Minar, and Dhaka Medical College & Hospital to Chankharpool.
The university authorities, on the other hand, recommended that the railroad go straight from Shahbagh through Doel Chattar to Chankharpool.
DU authorities yesterday held a view-exchange meeting with the experts of the elevated railway project called Mass Rapid Transit (MRT Line 6).
The request was made considering the security and beauty of the campus and the Shaheed Minar.
According to the plan proposed by Dhaka Transport Coordinate Board (DTCB) experts, one station will be built near Jagannath Hall on DU campus and the other at Chankharpol intersection.
DU Vice Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said the project will certainly help reduce traffic congestion in the capital and it should be implemented as early as possible.
“There will be three dormitories of female students alongside the route DTCB has planned; so it has been a matter of our girl students' privacy too,” he said.
In response, the DTCB experts said they will take DU's proposal to their technical team and examine the plan again soon.
The proposed MRT is a 21.5-kilometre partially elevated railway from Uttara to Sayedabad through the capital with 18 stations at different places.
According to the project experts, some 60,000 people will be able to travel on the rail route everyday.
DTCB Executive Director GM Zainal Abedin Bhuiyan was present as the chief guest at the meeting held at DU's Old Senate Bhaban.
Md Moniruzzaman, deputy team leader of Padma Multi-Purpose Bridge Project; and Ashraful Alam Sarker of Jica study team; made two separate power-point presentations on the project.