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The much-hyped metro-rail service started operating from Uttara to Motijheel via Agargaon till 8.40 pm on Saturday, bringing relief to city life.
The dwellers of the capital city, where nightmare traffic congestion is a common phenomenon, are now able to enjoy an advanced, fast and safe transport till night.
Earlier on Thursday, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which is responsible for operating Dhaka Metro Rail, in an official notification announced that the most effective and modern commuter for city dwellers will operate on Uttara-Motijheel route from 7:10 am to 8:40 pm from Saturday.
Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd MAN Siddique said that the first train will leave Uttara for Motijheel at 7:10 am and it will continue until 8:30 pm, while the last train will leave Motijheel at 8:40 pm.
Earlier, the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6 was operated from 7:30 am to 11:30 am on Uttara-Motijheel section, while it is being run from 7:10 am to 8:00 pm on Uttara-Agargaon section.
"We are very excited, as we can enjoy the metro service till night from today. Earlier, I needed nearly 2 to 3 hours to reach my destination in the afternoon. Today, I will be in Uttara from Motijheel area in just half an hour," Nafis Uddin, a private service holder residing in Uttara, told this BSS correspondent.
He said he used metro-rail while going to office in Motijheel but during his return journey, he had to travel by bus as the metro-operations from Agargaon to Motijheel section remained stopped after 11.30 am.
Nafis Uddin said it is like dreams come true for them as they got the opportunity to have such an advanced and environment-friendly safe transport.
Biplab Mallik, a resident of Shewrapara area and an employee of a private office at Karwan Bazar area where he has to attend his work in the afternoon shift, said earlier they had to take bus to reach his office, but now he will be able to use metro-rail while going office and returning home.
Shamima Hossain, a student of Dhaka University and a resident of Tejgaon area, said due to safety issues, she used to attend her classes at the university by rickshaw or CNG-run auto rickshaw.
"But it is very costly. Metro-rail offers a new hope as now we will be able to reach the destitution within just 5-6 minutes, which was beyond our imagination once," she said.
It needs only 32 minutes to reach Motijheel from Uttara North station with current 10-minute intervals and stoppages at all stations which include Uttara North, Uttara Centre, Uttara South, Pallabi, Mirpur 11, Mirpur 10, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Agargaon, Bijoy Sharani, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh, Dhaka University, Bangladesh Secretariat and Motijheel.
On November 4, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the second phase of the metro rail's Agargaon to Motijheel part with stopovers in three stations- Farmgate, Bangladesh Secretariat and Motijheel. Later, all stations were inaugurated in phases.
MAN Siddique said currently 1.30 lakh to 1.50 lakh people are using the metro rail service daily, which is much higher than the estimation.
The country's first metro rail service was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 28, 2022, and went into commercial operation the next day.