Dhaka Metro Rail hailed as a 'shining example' of Bangladesh-Japan friendship

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the Uttara-Agargaon section of the metro rail on Wednesday

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate Bangladesh’s first metro rail. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

As Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched Bangladesh's first metro rail services in Dhaka, newly appointed Japanese Ambassador Kiminori Iwama and Ichiguchi Tomohide, the chief representative of JICA which funded the project, enthralled the audience at the inauguration ceremony with their Bangla speaking skills.

Opening his address at the event in Bangla, Iwama highlighted the long-standing relationship between Bangladesh and Japan and underlined his commitment to deepening the ties.

Tomohide expressed his happiness at attending the event in Bangla and hailed the metro rail project as a 'shining example' of cooperation between the two nations.

Noting that the benefits of the metro rail will become apparent in the coming days, he said the urban transport network will "change the lives of the common people in Dhaka".

The metro rail is at the heart of the dream of building a 'golden Bangladesh' and it will pave the way for the country's transition to 'Smart Bangladesh', according to MAN Siddique, the managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited.

“The MRT-6 line was supposed to be launched in June 2024. But under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, we were able to inaugurate the first part well ahead of schedule,” said Siddique.

The authorities plan to inaugurate the Motjheel section of the MRT Line-6 ​​in December 2023. The work on expanding the network to Kamalapur is progressing in full swing and is set to be launched in June 2025, according to Siddique.