Japan to provide Tk 92bn loan for subway in Dhaka

DHAKA, Bangladesh- The Japanese government is lending Bangladesh $ 1.4 billion (Tk11,400 crore) to construct a subway in Dhaka.

Both parties signed the loan agreement on Tuesday.

The agreement was signed on behalf of their respective countries by Fatima Yasmin, secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Ito Naoki, ambassador of Japan.

The Metrorail Line-5 project has a total cost of Tk41,238 crore. A 13.50-kilometer underground metro rail and a 6.50-kilometer fly metro rail will be built as part of the project. The new 14-kilometer metro rail will serve as the subway for the 20-kilometer line connecting Gabtali and Bhatara.

The remaining 6 kilometers will be elevated. As a result, on the same route, there will be a metro rail with a combination of subway and fly systems.

There will be 14 stations on the proposed MRT Route-5 (Northern Route). Nine will be underground, and the remaining five stations will be on the ground.

The project aims to reduce Dhaka's traffic congestion and air pollution by building a 20-kilometer mass rapid transit system, MRT Line-5.