The resumption of metro rail services after 37 days on Sunday brought a huge relief to the city dwellers’ lives.
Services that were halted on July 18 following incidents of arson and vandalism resumed partially, with Kazipara and Mirpur-10 being temporarily unavailable.
Passengers demanded speedy renovation of the stations that came under heavy attack during the countrywide unrest in July.
There was no room in the coaches leaving Motijheel station at around 5pm. Additionally, the lines in front of the ticket counter and vending machines were longer than usual.
Mohsin Ali, an employee of a private bank in Motijheel, expressed relief by getting on the metro train and said: "Today, after a month, I will be able to reach home by 5:30pm. Otherwise, I would have to sit idle in a traffic jam right now. During the period when metro rail was suspended, I took a walk home, and sometimes I took a bus."
Sitting next to Mr Ali was Md Akbar. He said that after a busy day, he usually does not get much time to spend with his family. But due to the metro rail, he is now able to save some time.
Meanwhile, train movement from Uttara started at 7:10am as per the previous schedule. However, as Kazipara and Mirpur-10 stations are not operational, the train stops directly at Mirpur 11. As a result, the time required to reach Motijheel has decreased.
Nurannahar, a resident of Kazipara who boarded the train from Farmgate, said that for more than 15 days, she has been commuting to work either by rickshaw or by foot. She was unhappy with the interim management as her costs shot up sharply and it took more time to reach home. But now that the metro rail is back, there will be some relief. However, she requested the authorities reopen the Kazipara and Mirpur-10 stations quicker.
Alif, a resident of Benarshi Palli in Mirpur, said once all the stations are operational, the government’s revenue will also increase.
DMTCL’s statement regarding 2 stations
Mohammad Iftekhar Hossain, general manager (operation) of Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Company Limited (DMTC), said an investigation team has been formed over the incident. After their assessment, they can confirm how long it will take to get the two stations up and running and the costs.
“As far as I know, to restart these two stations, the whole system will have to be brought from Japan again. So far, it has not been possible to start activities due to various problems, including agitations and lawsuits,” said the official, adding that the process will soon begin in this regard.
Regarding the filing of a case over the vandalism, he said that the government will decide whether to file a case or not.
On the first day of resumption of services, passengers going towards Kazipara were seen getting out of the coaches in Shewrapara, Agargaon. On the other hand, the residents of Mirpur 10 got down at Mirpur 11 station.
A salesperson at one of the ticket counters said normally the Mirpur 11 station draws a smaller crowd compared to Mirpur 10. But because the Mirpur 10 station is closed, the crowd at Mirpur 11 was high on Sunday.
Metro rail to be declared a KPI
Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammed Faozul Kabir Khan has said that the government is moving to declare the metro rail as a Key Point Installation (KPI) to prevent vandalism and ensure its security.
He said this during a briefing at the metro rail Secretariat station on Sunday.
"We are working to designate the metro rail as a KPI to prevent future vandalism and enhance its security," Fouzul said. "Declaring it an essential service will help protect it from disruptions like the ones we've recently experienced."
Asked about actions against those responsible for the vandalism, he said: "Those who engage in such acts cannot change the country. We have video footage of the incidents, and appropriate measures will be taken.”