Dhaka University, Bijoy Sarani metro rail stations open for commuters

Two additional metro rail stations – Dhaka University and Bijoy Sarani – along the Uttara-Agargaon route are now open for commuters to use.

The stations' doors were opened for passengers from 8am on Wednesday (13 December).

With this, metro trains now stop at 12 stations – Uttara North, Uttara Centre, Pallabi, Mirpur-10, Mirpur-11, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Bijoy Sarani, Agargaon, Farmgate, Secretariat and Motijheel.

Dr Hasna Sultana, who typically required at least 1.5 hours to commute from Mirpur-10 to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, was pleasantly surprised yesterday as it took her only about 18 minutes to reach her destination.

"It's as if the distance has magically shortened. I'm thrilled at the prospect of saving time every day, allowing me to spend more quality time with my family," she told The Business Standard.

"Many doctors rely on private transport to commute to work. If the metro rail service runs consistently throughout the day, this trend will significantly decrease," she added.

Another physician from DMCH, Farzana Snigdha, used to leave Agargaon at 6am to make it to work by 8am. Thanks to the metro rail, she can now start for work at 7:30am and still arrive on time.

Dr Farzana said, "The metro rail has been a tremendous help to me in several ways. It saves me a minimum of three hours every day."

Ghalib Mahmud Sharif, a fourth-year electrical and electronics engineering department student at Buet, commutes regularly from Mirpur-2.

He said, "Travelling by bus via Mirpur-1, New Market and Palasi takes around two hours to reach Buet, whereas the metro rail from Mirpur-10 only took 20 minutes. However, there was quite a lengthy queue for tickets, requiring a 20-minute wait."

He noted, "Classes usually commence at 8am in most Buet departments. Previously, we had to start around 6am to ensure punctuality. The metro rail has reduced this struggle."

Twenty-two students from the 12th batch of the Population Science Department of Dhaka University congregated at Dhaka University Station to celebrate its opening.

Mainul Hasan Jisan, speaking to TBS, said, "The metro rail has introduced a new dimension to Dhaka city's transportation system. University students will also benefit from this.

"With reduced travel hardships, the focus on education will intensify. Moreover, the struggles faced by students engaged in part-time jobs will also diminish."

He also said, "The walk from the Secretariat station to DMCH used to be quite long and cumbersome due to various obstacles on the pavement. Now, the opening of the Dhaka University Station has resolved this issue for me."

The Uttara to Agargaon segment of the nation's first metro rail was made accessible to the public on 29 December 2022.

On 4 November, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the second phase of the metro rail's Agargaon to Motijheel part. 

On the Uttara-Motijheel route, the metro runs daily from 7:30am to 11:30am. Two trains run from Uttara North at 7:10am and 7:20am for the convenience of students and professionals. Only those with MRT Pass and Rapid Pass can travel on these two trains.

After 11:30am, metro rail movement remains stopped on the Motijheel-Agargaon route, while it is operational till 8:30pm in the Uttara-Agargaon section.

The government adopted the Metrorail project in July 2012. Its initial implementation period was till June 2024. However, the period was later extended.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has been constructing the metro rail and providing soft loans to the project. Jica gave Tk19,500 crore for the project