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Good news is coming for Metrorail users in Dhaka. The Kazipara metro station, which was closed for repairs, will reopen soon. In addition, the Metrorail service is expected to start operating on Fridays as part of the weekend schedule. This announcement is likely to come within a few days.
The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which is responsible for the construction and management of the metro rail, has been working to repair the Kazipara station. Last week, repairs began, and on Saturday, technical inspections of the station were completed. Plans to operate the metro rail on Fridays are also nearly finalised.
DMTCL is preparing to announce the reopening of Kazipara station next Wednesday. This reopening comes after the government replaced the former Managing Director of DMTCL, MAN Siddique, with Mohammad Abdur Rouf. Since taking over, Rouf has made reopening Kazipara station and introducing Friday metro services a priority.
Dr Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, the new advisor in charge of the Road Transport Ministry, had earlier directed the DMTCL to keep the metro rail running on Fridays. The plan is to run the Metrorail from 3 pm to late in the evening on Fridays.
Abdur Rouf shared with the media on Saturday that the repairs at Kazipara station are being done using locally available materials and equipment. He emphasised that their goal is to provide quick relief to passengers with safe and cost-effective maintenance.
However, it may take more time to reopen the Mirpur-10 station, which was also damaged. While efforts are being made to complete repairs as quickly as possible, Mirpur-10 will require more time for full restoration.
The Kazipara and Mirpur-10 stations were damaged on July 18, when unrest broke out at Mirpur-10 roundabout. As a result, metro services were suspended, and both stations were vandalised. At the time, DMTCL officials estimated it would take a year and cost around Tk 3.5 billion to repair the damage.
However, after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, and the appointment of a new interim government headed by Prof Muhammad Yunus, the damage was reassessed. Now, officials believe the cost to repair both stations may be much lower, around Tk 50 crore, and they are working to speed up the process.
Passengers can expect the reopening of Kazipara station soon, and hopefully, the metro rail will start operating on Fridays, providing a convenient option for weekend travel, the officials mentioned.
