Metro Rail Project Extended by 3 years; Cost to Decrease by BDT 7.55 billion

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News Desk: The Metro Rail Line-6 (MRT) project will be extended by three years, while costs are expected to decrease by BDT 7.55 billion, according to the third amendment proposal presented at the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

The ECNEC meeting, chaired by Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, was held on Monday (1 December). The revised project plan eliminates the need for an additional 3.56 hectares of land for the entry and exit structures of stations including Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Shahbagh, Dhaka University, and Motijheel, saving BDT 11.21 billion. The construction of station plazas at Uttara North, Uttara Center, Agargaon, and Motijheel has also been removed, reducing costs by BDT 1.65 billion. Additional savings include BDT 1.16 billion in civil and station construction, BDT 904.5 million in electrical and mechanical railway management systems, and nearly BDT 30 million in resettlement consultancy services.

Along with cost reduction, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) proposed extending the project deadline to December 2028 to complete the 1.16 km extension from Motijheel to Kamalapur, which is why the original completion date of 31 December has been extended.

MRT Line-6 is Bangladesh’s first metro rail project. The 20.1 km line from Uttara to Motijheel is already operational. Initially inaugurated in December 2022, the service ran from Uttara to Agargaon and was later extended to Motijheel by the end of 2023. Upon approval, this amendment will be the third revision, bringing the project’s total cost to BDT 327.18 billion.

The Planning Commission also noted that salaries, consultant fees, stationery, stamps, honoraria, and computer-related expenses have increased, along with an additional BDT 2.7 billion in foreign loan interest payments.