The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel started regular traffic flow at 6am on Sunday, following its official inauguration.
Over the course of 12 hours, 2017 vehicles traversed the tunnel, till 6pm, contributing to a toll collection of Tk4,54,400.
The Bangladesh Bridges Authority Chief Engineer Kazi Mohammad Ferdous officially confirmed these statistics to Dhaka Tribune at around 5pm on Sunday.
Beforehand, the deputy project director of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel Md Abul Kalam Azad had said that 486 vehicles had crossed the tunnel by 12:30pm.
Meanwhile, in the initial hour of operation, between 6am-7am, 72 vehicles utilized the tunnel, generating a toll revenue of Tk19,050.
In the following hour, from 7am-8am, 49 vehicles crossed, accumulating Tk11,200 in tolls.
Altogether, the first two hours witnessed the collection of Tk30,500 from 121 vehicles.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel on Saturday, with official traffic flow commencing at 6am the following day.
People had gathered at both tunnel entrances as early as 3am, eager to be among the first common citizens to experience the new infrastructure.
Following the tunnel's official opening, the first public transport vehicle, a MARSA Paribahan bus carrying a group known as “BD Bus Lovers”, crossed the tunnel from the Anwara end.
A passenger on the bus, Riyaduzzaman, expressed pride in being among the first passengers to use the tunnel and mentioned waiting since nearly 3am for this opportunity.
According to the Bridges Division, it is expected that a total of 17,374 vehicles will utilize the tunnel on a daily basis during the first year of its operation, with 3,218 of these vehicles categorized as heavy vehicles.
This daily vehicle count is projected to rise to 28,305 by 2025.
The tunnel will accommodate a wide range of vehicle types, consisting of 12 categories, while motorbikes and three-wheelers are not permitted.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina crossed the Bangabandhu Tunnel on Saturday with a 21-vehicle motorcade, paying a toll of Tk4,000.
With the inauguration, the southern gateway of the country has been unlocked, marking a historic milestone as the first river-underpass tunnel constructed in South Asia.