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Bangladesh opens first metro line in traffic-choked capital

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Bangladesh’s sprawling capital opened its first-ever subway line on Wednesday, as authorities struggle to ease congestion that has stymied growth and angered tempers in the gridlocked metropolis.

Dhaka is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and daily commutes frustrate its 22 million residents on roads clogged with cars.

Local researchers say the capital’s economy loses more than $3 billion in working hours a year to traffic congestion, often worsened by regular street protests and monsoon torrential rains.

The new elevated train network has been in development for almost a decade and is expected to grow to more than 100 stations and six lines criss-crossing the city by 2030.

On Wednesday, part of the first line connecting Dhaka’s surrounding neighborhoods to the city center began operating at a cost of $2.8 billion, largely financed by Japan’s development fund.

“This metro railway is also another thing that we are very proud of,” Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said at a ceremony marking the first service.

“We are committed to eradicating traffic congestion in Dhaka,” she added. “With six subway lines, we can do it.”

Commuters are eagerly awaiting the opening of the line, which is expected to carry 60,000 passengers an hour when fully operational.

“We count on it. It will reduce public suffering,” Mustafizul Rahman, who spends almost three hours commuting to work by bus every morning, told AFP.

Hasina used the opening ceremony to honor six Japanese railway engineers involved in the project, who were killed in 2016 when Islamist extremists attacked cafes in Dhaka.

sam/glee/mca



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