Metro rail service will resume on 17 Aug, says govt

The Dhaka metro rail will resume operating on 17 August, the government said today (11 August) following an Advisory Council meeting.

The train will operate without stopping at the stations in Kazipara and Mirpur-10, which were vandalised last month during the student movement, the government said in a press statement. 

The government’s announcement debunks former road, transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader’s claim last month where he said it could take over a year to resume.

Earlier tonight, the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), the company responsible for operating the train, said the metro rail service will resume within a maximum of seven days. 

The exact date, however, is yet to be decided, DMTCL Managing Director MAN Siddique told TBS.

He said, “Full-fledged preparations have been started to resume operations. For this, necessary technical tests are being conducted. The trial run will also be done in the next two-three days.”
MAN Siddique also said a committee formed to assess the damage to the vandalised stations and other technical issues is yet to submit its report.

“Hope the committee will submit the report soon. After receiving the report, the next decision about this station will be announced,” he added.

Meanwhile, Metro rail staff have announced a strike from Friday over several demands, including a ‘non-discriminatory’ pay structure.

Speaking about the matter, the DMTCL MD said some workers are on strike with instigation from a group.

“This matter will be resolved soon. This will not affect the running of metro rail services,” he said.