National
“PM to Inaugurate Dhaka Metro Rail’s Agargaon-Motijheel Stretch on Oct 20
Dhaka’s eagerly awaited Agargaon-Motijheel segment of the Dhaka Metro Rail is scheduled to be inaugurated on October 20, 2023, by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as announced by Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
This significant milestone will see the opening of three crucial metro stations: Farmgate, Secretariat, and Motijheel. Together with the existing stations on the route—Bijoy Sarani, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh, TSC, and Press Club—the metro line will offer commuters a swift and efficient journey from Agargaon to Motijheel. The entire route can be traversed in just 38 minutes, a remarkable achievement for Dhaka’s bustling metropolis.
Initially, the service will deploy five trains running from Agargaon to Motijheel at 15-minute intervals, with plans for future expansion. The newly introduced trains will be numbered, simplifying identification for passengers heading to their preferred destination.
To ensure the system’s safety and efficiency, a three-step testing process has been undertaken, including proficiency tests, system integration tests, and trial runs, all set to be completed well before the inauguration.
Operating hours for the Dhaka Metro Rail will initially be from 7 am to 10 pm, with the possibility of extension to 11:30 pm once the entire system is fully operational.
The Dhaka Metro Rail project, the country’s first of its kind, is valued at Tk 33,472 crore, with significant financial support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Government of Bangladesh. While the initial estimated cost was Tk 21,000 crore, the increase is attributed to project extensions, land acquisition for stations, and additional facilities.
Construction for this transformative project commenced in 2017, with an expected completion date of December 2025.
This inauguration follows the formal launch of the Uttara-Agargaon section of the MRT-6 line in December last year, with all nine stations on this route now fully operational.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds at most places across the Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Some areas may experience moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall, according to their latest weather bulletin released on Thursday.
Day and night temperatures are expected to remain nearly unchanged across the country.
The highest rainfall in the country over the past 24 hours was recorded in Kumarkhali, with 104mm of rain by 6 a.m. on Thursday.
The axis of the monsoon trough extends from India’s Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal to Assam, passing through Bangladesh, with one of its associated troughs stretching into the North Bay of Bengal.
The monsoon remains active over Bangladesh and moderate to strong over the North Bay region.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted that the mild heat wave currently affecting parts of the country, including the capital, is expected to subside in most areas within the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
“A mild heat wave is sweeping across the divisions of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Sylhet, as well as the districts of Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia. It is likely to ease in most regions,” the department reported.
In addition, BMD predicted light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across most of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Some areas are expected to experience moderate to very heavy rainfall.
Temperatures across the country may drop by 1-2 degrees Celsius during both day and night.
On Monday, Dinajpur in the Rangpur division recorded the country’s highest temperature at 38.6°C, while Bandarban in the Chattogram division saw the lowest temperature at 24.6°C early today.
Meanwhile, rainfall recorded in the past 24 hours, ending at 6 am today, reached 66 mm in Nikli of Dhaka Division.
The sunset in Dhaka is at 5:53 pm today, and sunrise is expected at 5:49 am tomorrow.
Two separate murder cases were filed today in connection with the deaths of a private service holder and a Madrasa student during the anti-discrimination student movement.
The first case was lodged by Ridwan Ahmed with Panchlaish police station, accusing former ministers Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, and 127 others for the death of his nephew Sujan, 14. Sujan, the son of Belal Hossain from Beramara village in Noakhali’s Sadar Thana, was a student at Al Jamirul Hayat Madrasa in the city’s Chandgaon area. He was fatally shot in the Muradpur area on July 18.
The second case was filed by Jamal Uddin at Doublemooring police station, accusing 225 individuals, including Dr. Hasan Mahmud and Education Minister Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, for the killing of his elder brother Alam, a private service holder, on August 5.
