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Despite significant interest from global lenders, the development of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network in the capital remains largely at a standstill.
With the exception of the operational MRT Line-6, the five other projects have been deferred as the government scrutinises their high costs and navigates complexities with international financiers.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding three MRT lines, but only one of them is operational.
The two others - MRT 1 and MRT 5 North - could not proceed despite completion of the planning stage due to conflicts with Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) over tendering.
DMTCL, due to high costs and syndication issues, demands a revision of the tender documents, which JICA denied.
The MRT 5 South project stalled due to not getting approval from the Planning Commission, though the Asian Development Bank-led financiers were ready to invest in the Tk 477.21 billion project.
DMTCL has planned six MRTs in Dhaka's different corridors in line with the 2015 strategic transport plan (STP).
It has planned to develop around 140 kilometres of MRT routes by 2030, with the total cost estimated to exceed Tk 2.0 trillion.
Project insiders fear the cost will go up further due to implementation delays.
Sources say the delay in starting the upcoming projects has embarrassed financiers as none can hold the funds for an indefinite period after accepting those in the pipeline.
The World Bank recently showed interest in the MRT 2 project.
The government has prioritised revising the MRT 2 route that covers old Dhaka.
A source says the World Bank is observing the overall metro development funded by other development partners to ensure confirmed funding.
MRT 2 has been planned from Gabtoli to Chattogram Road via Lalbagh, Mitford, and Dholaikhal to bring the areas with high population density under the metro network.
The World Bank has already offered a grant of $2.5 million for planning and institutional development of the project.
MRT 4 is under consideration by Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund, which is a co-financier of the ADB-led financiers of MRT 5 South.
The ADB in principle agreed to fund $4.5 billion, up from its earlier negotiations of $2.5 billion.
Due to conflicts with JICA, DMTCL is now looking for a new financier to develop the extension of MRT 6.
MRT 6, the country's first metro project implemented under JICA's full support, is operational from Uttara to Motijheel.
The work on its extension from Motijheel to Kamalapur is going on, with commissioning targeted for the first day of 2027.
DMTCL officials say though all MRT projects could not enter the implementation stage due to the non-completion of procurement, depot land development and utility shifting have continued.
As procurement could not be finished, the budget allocation for MRT 1 - planned from Dhaka airport to Kamalapur with a link to Purbachal - was returned in the revised annual development programme.
MRT 5 North and MRT 5 South are supposed to connect Hemayetpur with Vatara and Gabtoli with Dasherkandi, respectively.
smunima@yahoo.com