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Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has signed a contract with a Japanese company-led joint venture (JV) to carry out detailed design work of the city's second metro-rail project.
DMTCL Managing Director M A N Siddique and Deputy Director General of Nippon Koei Company Limited Toru Nakagawa signed the contract on Wednesday on behalf of the respective sides.
Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader witnessed the signing ceremony.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Nazrul Islam, and Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Hitoshi Hirata were also present, among others.
Nippon Koei will lead the JV of companies from Japan, India, France and Bangladesh to carry out the detailed design work as well as to prepare tender documents for the Mass Rapid Transit line-1 (MRT-1) project.
Other firms of the JV are - Oriental Consultant Global Company Ltd of Japan, SYSTRA SA of France, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, Nippon Koei India Pvt Ltd, Katahira and Engineers International of Japan, and Development Design Consultant Ltd of Bangladesh.
DMTCL launched the MRT-1 project to set up the second mass transit corridor on two routes in the city by 2026, connecting Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Purbachal area and Kamalapur Railway Station. After implementation, MRT-1 will carry 1.0 million passengers per day.
DMTCL is the responsible agency for operating and maintaining the MRTs. It is now implementing MRT-6 from Uttara to Motijheel.
Speaking on the occasion, the JICA chief representative emphasised completing the recruitment and training process of all necessary staff for DMTCL for providing safe, smooth and international standard services to the Dhaka commuters.
"At this stage, timely recruitment of DMTCL staff is crucially important to develop their capacity through ground training for operation and maintenance."
He also assured DMTCL of JICA's assistance for human resource development by providing consultancy service.
The DMTCL MD said MRT is now a reality of the country, as 30 per cent of MRT-6 has already been completed.
He said MRT-1 is the second prioritised metro rail project, proposed in the revised strategic transport plan, and preparation of its development project proposal is going on.
A loan contract for obtaining engineering services for MRT-1 project was signed on June 29, 2017. A technical assistance project proposal was also approved with an estimated cost of Tk 5.78 billion on August 7 this year.