Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stressed forming of a separate police unit for security of the ongoing Dhaka metro rail project.

She gave her opinion at a meeting on the progress of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), popularly known as metro rail, on Monday (Sept 16) at her official residence the Ganabhaban, reports BSS.

Managing Director of the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Company (DMTCL) MAN Siddique briefed the premier on the overall progress of the implementation of the ‘Time-Bound Action Plan 2030 for Construction of the MRT Lines in Dhaka City and its adjoining areas’, says the report.

He projected the progress of MRT Line 6 as well as MRT Line 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 through the powerpoint presentation.

The metro rail project, the first of its kind in the country, is being implemented by the state-owned DMTCL in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

At the meeting, the prime minister gave some directives to the authorities concerned for smooth and speedy implementation of the mega project.

The review meeting was told that overall progress of the works of the MRT Line-6 (Uttara-Agargaon-Motijheel) till August was 30 percent, according to the state news agency.

About 46 percent works of the Uttara-Agargaon part and 24 percent works of the Agargaon-Motijheel part of the MRT Line-6 have so far been completed, it said.

The 20.10-km MRT Line-6 will run from Uttara Third Phase and pass through Pallabi, the west side of Rokeya Sarani and Farmgate, Hotel Sonargaon, Hotel InterContinental, TSC of Dhaka University, Doel Chattar, Topkhana Road and Bangladesh Bank.

The MRT-6 project is being executed at a cost of about Tk 220 billion. Of the amount, the JICA is providing Tk 165 billion to the project, while the rest will be funded by the government.

The fast-moving metro rail will run from Uttara and Motijheel via Mirpur and Farmgate, carrying 60,000 passengers in an hour touching every station once in every four minutes.

There will be 16 stations – Uttara North, Central and South, Pallabi, Mirpur-11, Mirpur-10, Kazipara, Taltala, Agargaon, Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Sonargaon, National Museum, Doel Chattar, Bangabandhu National Stadium and Bangladesh Bank.