Metrorail: A Testament to Dhaka’s Development Prowess

The metro rail was inaugurated on 28th December, ushering into a new epoch of infrastructural development in Bangladesh.

Swamped with people, Dhaka city is plagued by agonizing traffic gridlocks. This incurs considerable economic impact on the country and takes a toll on the mental health of the city's denizens. The wondrous Metrorail will thus be a respite to the crippling traffic snarls of the city.

The Morass

Dhaka's traffic system is an endless morass. The sprawling population coupled with the lack of planned and methodical transport and road infrastructure worsens Dhaka's crippling traffic gridlocks. The traffic jam incurs considerable damage to the economy and profoundly affects mental well-being. In this burgeoning metropolis, undertaking a timely journey from one place to another is uncertain, mired in the endless traffic gridlocks. One cannot envisage what lay in wait in the street, thus always on the horns of dilemma and calculation before undertaking a journey. This results in a loss of valuable time, both within the traffic jam and also due to the precautionary journey well before the expected time.

With endless traffic jams, urban life screeches to a halt, thus stagnating the flow of urban life. In the metropolis of vigorous activities, inexorable traffic jams spoil the experience of city life. The notoriety of Dhaka's traffic jams contributes to the city's abysmal standing in terms of living standards.

Mitigating the predicament of public transport

Dhaka is an unplanned and overpopulated city, thus worsening the predicament of the city's denizens encumbered by pervading traffic gridlocks. The public transport system of Dhaka relies heavily on the ramshackle bus. The buses are cramped and lack proper ventilation, thus making the affluent and middle-class resort to private transport. Given the burgeoning middle class and affluent society, with the surging rates of millionaires in Dhaka, private transport remains affordable to a section of the society. With the increasing numbers of traffics on the street, the streets were overwhelmed with traffic jam, exacerbating the city's already dismal traffic condition.

To improve the country's haphazard traffic system, Metrorail instills hope to usher in transformation in the city's traffic system, thus restoring order and bringing pace to the city's life.

 Development spree

The development of metro rail is the continuation of the government's drive towards development and infrastructural prowess. The past year had witnessed the inauguration of Padma Bridge--a monumental development project--bridging the country's South-Western part, thus ushering in profound socio-economic development. The metro rail is a continuation of a string of visionary development and infrastructural projects undertaken by the present regime in Bangladesh to bolster economic growth and facilitate the deepening connectivity across regions.

The Infrastructural Exemplar

In continuation of the development spree of the present government, the Metro-Rail will be an exemplary infrastructure, which might be further emulated in other cities of the country. Metrorail has been conceived and designed as an infrastructure project of Western standard, evident from the state-of-the-art amenities provided by the infrastructural wonder. This will undoubtedly set new standards in terms of the development of infrastructures.

 Economic windfall

The economic implications of Metro Rail are twofold. Firstly, the infrastructure will generate jobs and boost the speed of urban life, thus contributing to the country's economy. Secondly, it will curtail costs incurred due to the endless traffic jam in Dhaka city.

This is a watershed moment for the country's transport sector. The train will be initially launched from Uttara to Agargaon spanning a distance of 20.10 km, and this might be emulated in the adjoining metropolitan areas. The crippling traffic jam incurs an extortionate cost on the country's economy, resulting in the loss of approximately 33888 crores Tk. The advent of metro rail will significantly optimize the traffic situation and will diminish the quantity of traffics in Dhaka city, thus scaling down an estimated 2.02 tons of carbon emissions annually.

Boosting image

As with other infrastructural projects, the Padma Bridge will considerably boost the image of the country, making Bangladesh attractive to foreign investors and tourists. Oftentimes, the lack of swift connectivity deters investors from investing in Bangladesh. The crippling jam, as Dhaka is notorious for, diminish the attractiveness of Dhaka to foreign investors and tourist. Thus, an up-scale westernized infrastructure project at the heart of Dhaka with state-of-the-art amenities will considerably boost the image of Bangladesh. Moreover, the metro rail will dispel the curse of "endless gridlock", which had been subjected to derision, tainting the image of Bangladesh.

Moreover, the metro rail is an exemplar in terms of the country's infrastructural development. The project will give an impetus to the economy and inject new vitality into the city's communication.

Written by Kazi Asszad Hossan, Department of International Relations, University of Dhaka

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