Bangladesh: PM Sheikh Hasina Inaugurates Country's First Metro Service In Dhaka

PM Hasina also used the ceremony to commemorate six Japanese rail engineers working on the project, who were killed during an attack on a Dhaka cafe by Islamic extremists in 2016.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the inaugural event

New Delhi: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the country’s first metro rail service in Dhaka on Wednesday, news agency AP reported.

The rail service, mostly funded by Japan, was inaugurated by PM Hasina, who was accompanied by newly appointed Japanese Ambassador Kiminori Iwama and Ichiguchi Tomohide, the chief representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency, or JICA.

“We have added another feather of pride to the crown of Bangladesh’s people today. Another feather added to the crown of the development of Bangladesh,” AP quoted the Prime Minister as saying during the inaugural event.

Hasina also used the ceremony to commemorate six Japanese rail engineers working on the project, who were killed during an attack on a Dhaka cafe by Islamic extremists in 2016.

A total of 29 people were killed, including 20 hostages.

It is to be noted that in June, PM Hasina inaugurated a 6.51-kilometer (4.04-mile) bridge, spanning the Padma River. It was built by China at a cost of about $3.6 billion and was paid with domestic funds.

It was one of over 100 bridges PM Hasina has opened over the last few months.

It is to be noted that a limited version of the metro rail service was launched on Wednesday, which is expected to grow to over 100 stations and six lines crisscrossing the city by 2030.

A section of the first line connects a prime neighborhood on Dhaka’s periphery with the city centre. It was built at a cost of $2.8 billion and mostly funded by JICA.

As per reports, the line is expected to carry 60,000 people each hour when it is fully operational.

During the inaugural programme, Iwama spoke about the long-standing relationship between Bangladesh and Japan, and also underlined his commitment to boosting the ties in future, as more Japanese investment and finances are coming to Bangladesh.