DHAKA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday inaugurated the construction work of the 31.24-km Mass Rapid Transit Line 1 or MRT Line 1.
The metro rail line starts from Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and ends at Dhaka's central Kamalapur railway station via new Purbachal township on the outskirts of Dhaka.
The premier inaugurated the construction work of MRT Line 1 at a ceremony in Purbachal.
Bangladeshi Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri said the construction work is expected to be completed by 2026.
Bangladesh's first-ever metro began commercial operations last December, setting a milestone in the country's transportation history. Hasina inaugurated the MRT Line 6 from Dhaka's Uttara to Agargaon area at a ceremony in Dhaka.
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.
In December last year, Bangladeshi Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that the country is to construct six more metro rail lines in the capital Dhaka by 2030. ■
