Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (L1) waves a flag at the inaugural ceremony of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT Line)-6 of Bangladesh's first-ever metro in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Dec. 28, 2022. (Press Information Department of Bangladesh/Handout via Xinhua)
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said another feather was added to the crown of Bangalee's pride and Bangladesh's development with the opening of the country's first-ever metro rail.
DHAKA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's first-ever metro began commercial operations on Wednesday, setting a milestone in the country's transportation history.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT Line)-6 of the metro rail from Dhaka's Uttara to Agargaon area at a ceremony in the capital.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (L3) inaugurates the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT Line)-6 of Bangladesh's first-ever metro in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Dec. 28, 2022. (Press Information Department of Bangladesh/Handout via Xinhua)
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Hasina said another feather was added to the crown of Bangalee's pride and Bangladesh's development with the opening of the country's first-ever metro rail.
"One more feather after the Padma Bridge was added to the journey of Bangladesh's development with inaugurating the metro rail," she said.
In a message, Hasina had earlier said metro rail is a unique milestone in Bangladesh's city mass transport system.
The inauguration of MRT Line-6, or Bangladesh's first metro rail, is a long-awaited dream of the people of Dhaka city, she said.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited, a Bangladeshi state-owned enterprise, is behind the 20.1-km metro, with work being carried out by Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Indian and Bangladeshi companies.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (L) poses for picture holding ticket after inaugural ceremony of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT Line)-6 of Bangladesh's first-ever metro in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Dec. 28, 2022. (Press Information Department of Bangladesh/Handout via Xinhua)
Bangladesh borrowed funds from the Japan International Cooperation Agency to finance the metro rail project in stages.
A joint venture between China's Sinohydro Corporation Limited, a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned PowerChina, and Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited, a Thai company, had been building the main depot for the MRT Line-6 in Dhaka since 2017 at a cost of about 180 million U.S. dollars.
The metro will eventually cover large parts of the city. The first train made a trial run in August on a section of the line with 16 elevated stations. ■
