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The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved three metro rail projects at a combined cost of Tk249,746 crore.
The projects include revised cost proposals for Japan-funded MRT Line-1 (Airport-Kamalapur) and MRT Line-5 Northern (Hemayetpur-Bhatara), as well as the MRT Line-5 Southern (Gabtoli-Daserkandi), jointly financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and South Korea.
ECNEC approved a total of 12 projects on Wednesday, including seven new projects and five revised ones. Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman presided over the meeting at the Secretariat.
Planning State Minister Jonaed Abdur Rahim Saki briefed reporters on the metro rail projects after the meeting.
The revised cost of MRT Line-1, Bangladesh’s first underground metro rail project, has been set at Tk114,394.89 crore. The 31.24-kilometre line will connect the airport with Kamalapur, with completion targeted by 2033. Its cost has increased by 117.64 per cent.
The 20-kilometre MRT Line-5 Northern project has been revised to Tk89,848.36 crore. It will run from Hemayetpur to Bhatara.
The MRT Line-5 Southern project, stretching 17.20 kilometres from Gabtoli to Daserkandi, has been approved at Tk45,503 crore. Of the total, Tk15,197 crore will come from the government, while Tk30,306 crore will be jointly financed by the ADB and South Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).
The Southern route will include 13.10 kilometres of underground track. The section through Hatirjheel will run underground, while the route from Aftabnagar onwards will be elevated.
The three projects were brought together for approval after the Southern route was initially scheduled as the sole metro rail project on the ECNEC agenda.
