The government says it is considering developing an underground rail network in Dhaka to ease terrible traffic congestion.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered the Planning Commission to ready a project for this, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said.
The order comes as the government is gearing up to introduce metro rail in the capital to reduce traffic jam.
“We’ll conduct a survey soon with the relevant ministry and prepare the project based on the results,” Kamal said after ECNEC meeting.
He said the government would carry on with under-construction metro rail project and newly conceived underground rail project simultaneously.
Asked about the funding for the new project, the minister said the World Bank’s Senior Vice President Kyle Peters had expressed interest to fund it during his recent visit.
Currently, a geological survey is being conducted for commercial metro rail on the Uttara-Agargaon route to be put in place by 2019.
It will cost an estimated Tk 220 billion, of which JICA is providing Tk 165.95 billion. The government will fund the rest.
“[The underground rail network] will be a dream project like the Padma Bridge project,” Minister Kamal said. “It will significantly reduce traffic congestion in Dhaka.”
