Metro Rail in Dhaka: A New Era of Modernization

Bangladesh's first-ever elevated metro rail – operating from the Capital Dhaka’s Uttara to Agargaon under the MRT Line-1 project, has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the 28^th of December this year.

Mass rapid transit projects are often taken by countries with increasing populations to solve the problems of urban traffic congestion and meet the rising mobility of the people. Such projects are also taken for boosting economic growth and uplifting the national image of the country. In Asia, megacities like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Mumbai are some core examples where Metro rails have transcended the life of people with modern mass rapid transit solutions.

With the launch of the Metro rail, Dhaka is assumed to stage itself among those modern cosmopolitan cities of Asia and beyond. As it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, the new mass rapid transit system is presumed to deliver higher mobility and accessibility to the residents of the city. In addition, the Metro rail will uplift the national image of Bangladesh – by ensuring higher socioeconomic development and environmental benefits which are incommensurable and recurrent not over years or decades, but over generations.

In 2012, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council of Bangladesh first approved the Metro Rail scheme. Then in February 2013, a loan agreement was signed between the Government of Bangladesh and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the construction of the MRT Line-6. The estimated overall cost of the project is $2.82 billion, where the international donor JICA has contributed around $2.13bn at a 0.01% interest rate. Finally, on June 26, 2016, the then and current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction work on the much-hyped first-ever metro rail service in the capital.

Boosting Connectivity and Economic Growth

Metro rail is considered one of the most advance and modern infrastructures for cities to operate successfully in the global competition to attract people, businesses, and investment. As metro rails can carry almost 60,000 passengers per hour per direction, these rails are preferably suited for megacities with larger populations – securing the reputation to be called as “the pulsing arteries of bustling cities”.

Decent and dependable metro services support effective economies around the world. According to one estimate, the 50 largest metropolitan areas by GDP in the world are all supported by urban rail systems where 76% of those have metro rails. Likewise, the Dhaka Metro system is also set to usher in a new era by spurring intra-city connectivity and higher mobility, and, thus lessening the hustling and bustling of the city’s residents. By metro train, one can reach Motijheel – the financial center of the city from Uttara in just 40 minutes which currently takes around 3 to 4 hours. As a result, such transportation will play an important role in deepening connectivity and increasing people’s productive time.

In Bangladesh, there is a major economic loss because of traffic congestion. A study shows that the annual cost of traffic congestion in Dhaka city is $4.4bn, or more than 10% of the annual national budget. According to a World Bank report, around 3.2 million working hours are lost every day due to traffic congestion in the country’s capital. Here, the Dhaka Metro rail project can help transcend the massive loss and result in annual savings of $2.4bn, or 1.5% of the country's GDP.

Apart from these economic benefits, metro-rail is set to boost employment and business opportunities in the country. Operation and maintenance of metro rail will require a lot of manpower, which will lead to many job openings. The commercial centers around the stations will attract businesses and add revenues to annual income. All of these will boost internal economic activities and eventually contribute to the country's current economic stardom.

 Social and Environmental Impact

With the Metro in Dhaka, women can reach jobs situated at a greater distance as the Metro provides a safer and quicker mode of travel between the home and workplace which will encourage more women to go for remote job – contributing to women empowerment. It will provide safety to other vulnerable sections of society as well, including the physically disabled and elders. All members of society, irrespective of their financial status, can enjoy international standard travel – improving the social integrity of the country.

The population density in Dhaka will also decrease once the metro rail is fully operationalized. People can move away from the congested areas of the city and choose to reside outside in an affordable housing cost – reducing the extra pressure on the city.

As the Metro rail is launched, buses and other modes of transportation will become less popular in Dhaka city as the metro rail will offer quality and reliable travel. As a result, there will be fewer cars on the road and burning less fossil fuel, hence having a favorable effect on the capital Dhaka's environment. Moreover, the Dhaka Metro rail is using mass-spring system technology to lessen noise, shock, and vibration – lessening the metro rail's overall environmental impact and ensuring sustainable development.

The introduction of the metro rail will usher in a new age of technical modernization in Bangladesh. Like in industrialized nations, Dhaka Metro rail will create an advanced system that allows passengers to get where they're going using credit cards and other cashless transaction facilities. As a result, the country's economy will benefit from digitalization as well as a gradual transition to a “cashless economy”.

However, nothing comes without challenges, and the Dhaka Metro rail project is no different. The authority must be pragmatic about the pricing of tickets as there are criticisms and need to take measures to familiarize the new transportation system among the people. In addition, the project should not result in a burden to the economy but rather a boon for economic growth. As the new mood of mass transport is set to revolutionize the transportation system of the country, it will for sure strengthen the economy of Bangladesh.

In cosmopolitan cities across the world, metro rail is essentially a fast and sustainable mass rapid transit system. It has also become a symbol of pride for any country to demonstrate its capability and achievement in the development sector. Similarly, with the inauguration of the Dhaka Metro rail, Bangladesh has demonstrated its economic stardom and will work on fixing the existing challenges of its capital Dhaka – by advancing the country toward a new era of technological modernization.

Sent in by Sheikh Faisal Fardin

Bio: Sheikh is an international affairs analyst based in Washington, DC. He has completed his master's at the Ohio State University. His research interest is extensively focused on South Asia.

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