95% construction work of MRT Line-1 depot completed

At least 95% of construction work of the MRT Line-1 depot has been completed so far, while works are progressing fast, aimed at completing the MRT Line-1 by 2028.

Talking to BSS, Project Director of Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-1), Md Abul Kashem Bhuiyan, said under the contract package-1, construction of the depot on 35.90 hectares of land at Pitalganj in Rupganj under Narayanganj district is almost completed. 

"The financial progress rose to 88% while the realistic progress stood at 95%. Contract package-1 (CP-1) for the construction of civil work of depot and CP-2 documents will be sent to the head office for approval," he said.

The project director said the MRT Line-1 has a total of 19,872 kilometres of underground, consisting airport route with 12 underground stations, while an 11,369-kilometre elevated section from Notun Bazar to Pitalganj Depot of Purbachal route with seven elevated and two underground stations is being implemented through a total of 12 packages. 

The Line-1, having two parts - the Airport Route and the Purbachal Route is being constructed with 12 packages, as the construction work of both the routes began on 2 February 2023, he added.

According to the project details, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has been implementing the MRT Line-1 with 12 packages.

Of the packages, the authorities sent draft contract documents of CP-2 and CP-5 to the  Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on 13 March 2025 after completing the pre-contract negotiation process for getting no objections.

Besides, processes are on for retendering of CP-3, as no pre-qualified bidder submitted their tender documents during the tender schedule period.

The financial proposal of CP-4 was opened on 27 February 2025, while the evaluation of the financial proposal is underway, it said. 

Pre-contract negotiation with the lowest bidder under the CP-6 is going on after getting JICA's concurrence on the evaluation report of the financial proposal on 13 February.

The DMTCL is evaluating the technical proposal of the tender documents under contract package 7, which was floated on 27 February 2025.

The authority has re-fixed on 17 April for opening of the tender documents of the CP-8, which was floated on 4 November 2024.

Technical evaluation proposal reports of CP-9 and 10 were sent on 2 March 2025 and 19 March 2025 respectively, to JICA for concurrence. 

The tender documents for both packages were invited on 23 December 2024 and 9 December 2024 respectively.

 The DMTCL has invited a tender for the CP-10 on 9 January 2025. 22 April will be the last date for submitting tender documents.

The CP-12 was invited on 19 February 2025, while the tender documents will be opened on 2 June 2025.

The project details said the entire MRT Line-1 project is being implemented in 12 packages at a cost of Tk. 53,977 crore while the JICA is providing Tk. 39,450 crore as project assistance and the Bangladesh government is giving Tk. 14,527 crore.

Experts said 13.66 lakh people can move by this metro rail per day which is about 2.83 times higher than the existing MRT Line-6.

They said the government is moving forward with the mega plan to build a 140-kilometer metro rail network in Dhaka and its adjacent areas by 2030 to reduce traffic congestion.

Once the planned network consisting of six lines comes into reality, 50 lakh people will be able to use the facilities as the lines will cover 129 kilometres area of the city - about 68 km elevated and about 61km underground - having more than 100 stations.