As part of the announced countrywide ‘Complete Shutdown’ from dawn to dusk today (July 18, 2024), students demanding quota system reform from several colleges and universities took to the streets in Dhaka’s Uttara. Their protest turned violent when police intervened to disperse them, leading to clashes. To bring the situation under control, police lobbed tear gas multiple times. Protesters then vandalized a police box and two buses. The clash occurred in front of Zamzam Tower in Uttara. Read more: Situation tense at Badda after students-police clash According to witnesses, the protestors gathered at the same location as on previous days. Upon receiving news of the gathering, police rushed to the scene and began firing tear gas shells to clear the street, which sparked the confrontation. At one point, protesters retaliated by hurling brickbats at the police, leading to repeated chase and counter-chase. During the clash, demonstrators vandalized a traffic police box near Zamzam Tower and damaged two buses. Sub-nspector (SI) Ripon, duty officer at Uttara Purbo Paschim Police Station, said that the clashes were going on and the extent of the damages was yet to be determined. Police officers are actively working at the scene. Read more: Shutdown cripples capital city amid clashes between police and protesters

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said a survey is underway for extension of Dhaka Metro Rail from Uttara to Tongi. He said this after inaugurating the Bangabandhu Corner at the DMTCL Building in Uttara’s Diabari. The minister said the construction work of metro rail’s Motijheel to Kamalapur part will be completed by June next year.  With Karwan Bazar and Shahbagh Stations opening today, Dhaka Metro Rail ends 2023 with a milestone A decision will be taken after discussion on extending service hours of metro rail on different days including Ijtema and Boi Mela, he said. “From today, metro rail started operating from Uttara North to Motijheel from 7:10 am every day except Friday and the last train from Motijheel will leave for Uttara North at 8:40 pm,” he said. The headway during peak hours will be 10 minutes and during off-peak hours it will be 12 minutes.  Metro rail’s Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh stations to open Dec 31 “This afternoon, I will travel from Uttara North to Motijheel by metro rail. I also urge you to travel regularly on time-saving and environment-friendly metro rail,” the minister said. “Maximum facilities for passengers will be ensured in metro rail. Six lines of the metro rail will be operational by 2030,” said the minister. Dhaka Metro Rail extends service hours on Uttara-Motijheel route; here are the timings 

Police arrested a Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activist after two crude bombs were thrown at a police vehicle at the House Building area of Dhaka’s Uttara on Sunday morning (November 05, 2023). The arrestee was identified as GM Hasan, also former vice president of JCD's Gazipur city unit. Read: 11 BNP leaders-activists arrested in Narail The incident took place in front of Pubali Bank in Uttara’s House Building area at around 7:30am. Confirming the incident, Inspector (Operations) Partha Pratim Brahmachari of Uttara West Police Station, said miscreants threw two crude bombs targeting a police vehicle which was deployed in the area to tackle any untoward situation. One of the crude bombs exploded upon impact. Later, the law enforcers chased and arrested JCD activist involved in the attack, said Inspector Partha. Read: Six members of a Rohingya family arrested with 6,275 Yaba pills at HSIA The unexploded crude bomb was recovered from the spot, he added. Picketing and arson violence were reported across the capital since this morning amid the road, rail and waterways blockade for 48 hours called by BNP, Jamaat and like-minded opposition parties across the country.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to inaugurate the Agargaon-Motijheel part of Dhaka Metro Rail on October 20, 2023, Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told UNB. On that day, the PM will inaugurate the Farmgate, Secretariat and Motijheel stations of metro rail. There are seven stations on the Agargaon to Motijheel part of Dhaka Metro Rail. These are: Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh, TSC, Press Club and Motijheel. Read: Dhaka Metro Rail a symbol of Japan’s contributions to Bangladesh’s fast development: Nishimura Yasutoshi Once the Agargaon-Motijheel part of Metro Rail opens, commuters will be able to travel from Uttara to Motijheel in just 38 minutes — a miracle by Dhaka standards. Initially, five trains will run from Agargaon to Motijheel every 15 minutes and the number of trains will be increased gradually by reducing the time interval, the minister informed. MAN Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), said that Farmgate, Secretariat and Motijheel stations are being opened on October 20. All work involving the stations have been completed. Now, work on the passenger walkways at the station is going on and it will be finished by October 15, Siddique hoped. Read: Metro Rail and Padma Bridge prove AL believes in deeds, not words: Quader Initially all trains will not go up to Motijheel. Trains will have numbers assigned to them. According to the number, which train will go to Agargaon and which will go to Motijheel, can be identified. According to the DMTCL MD, a three-step test run is conducted on the line before a train runs commercially. The first step in the trial run is the proficiency test or performance test. The second step will be the 'System Integration Test'. The final stage will be 'trial run' or experimental movement. 

A fire that broke out at Uttara’s BGB Market in Dhaka this morning, was doused at 11:25 am. The fire broke out around 10:25 am and was brought under control around 11:10 am. Also Read: Dhaka's New Supermarket fire finally doused after 27 hours Fire Service Headquarters Duty Officer Lima Khanam said that the first unit of firefighters reached the spot around 10:35 am. Also Read: 58 markets in Dhaka at risk of fire; 9 marked 'extremely risky' Six units of firefighters worked to douse the blaze at BGB Market in Uttara. No casualties were reported at the time of filing this report.    

A Dhaka court on Sunday placed eight arrestees on a five-day remand in connection with snatching Tk 11.25 crore of Dutch Bangla bank from a private security agency’s vehicle in Uttara area on Thursday. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shanta Islam Mallik passed the order. Earlier in the day Inspector Saju Mia of DB police Mirpur zonal team and also the investigating officer of the case produced them before the court with a 10-day remand prayer.  Those remanded were identified as Md. Sanoar Hossain, Md. Eman alias Milan, Md. Akash Madbar, Sagar Madbar, Md. Badrul Alam, Md. Mizanur Rahman, Md. Sonai Mia and Md. Enamul Haque Badsha.  There was no lawyer defending the accused.   Shariful Islam, inspector (Investigation) of Turag Police Station, said that the incident happened while a private security company’s vehicle with Tk 11.25 crore – of Dutch Bangla Bank Ltd – was going towards Savar EPZ area to deposit the money at the bank’s ATM booths.  At Uttara Sector-16, a group of eight armed people stopped the vehicle and took away the money at gunpoint, he said.

Robbers snatched Tk 11.25 crore from a private security agency’s vehicle in Turag area of Dhaka’s Uttara this morning. Shariful Islam, inspector (Investigation) of Turag Police Station, said that the incident happened while a private security company’s vehicle with Tk 11.25 crore – of Dutch Bangla Bank Ltd – was going towards Savar EPZ area to deposit the money at the bank’s ATM booths. At Uttara Sector-16, a group of eight armed people stopped the vehicle and took away the money at gunpoint, he said, adding that police are raiding nearby places to recover the money.

Once giant Dhaka Wanderers Club shared points with Uttara Football Club Monday as the day's only Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) Football 2022-23 match ended in a draw. At the Birshreshtha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Dhaka's Kamalapur, Mishu Put Uttara ahead in the 29th minute (1-0). Shohag equalised for Wanderers in the 41st minute (1-1). Little Friends Club will play NoFel Sporting Club in Tuesday's lone BCL match at the same venue.      

With the inauguration of Dhaka Metro Rail, Bangladesh has entered a new era of public transportation. The dream comes true, and the wait is over. On Wednesday, December 28, at 11:05 PM, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unveiled the much-awaited and first metro rail plaque of the country. After that, the Prime Minister waved the green flag and inaugurated the official journey of Bangladesh’s first metro rail. Metro Rail is joining the public transport with the message of relief in city life. It is open for passengers from December 29. However, the train will run directly from Diabari to Agargaon until March 26. After that, it will stop at every station in between. Let’s unfold every detail we know about the Dhaka Metro Rail project’s first phase Uttara-Agargaon route. An Overview of Dhaka Metro Rail MRT-6 First Phase The name of the project is Dhaka Metro Mass Rapid Transit-MRT-6. It is implemented by Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). The project is being implemented in two phases. Uttara to Agargaon (11.73 kilometers) is phase one, and Agargaon to Motijheel is phase two. Currently, the first phase is open, and the second phase is expected to be opened by 2023. Table: MRT Line-6 at a Glance Track Type First Track Total Length (Uttara-Motijheel route) 21.26 KM  MRT-6 First Phase (Uttara-Agargaon route) 11.73 KM  Transit Type Mass Rapid Transit, Light Rapid Transit Number of Stations from Uttara to Agargaon 9 Passenger Transport Capacity 60 thousand per hour Number of Metro Trains 12 trains with 6 coaches Maximum Passenger Capacity per Train 2308 Read More: Metro rail is pride of Bangladesh: PM Hasina Added in the Transport Plan in 2013 Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) coordinates everything related to the capital’s public transport. A Strategic Transport Plan was formulated in 2013 under this organization, and the idea of ​​setting up metro rail was added to it. Before that, On December 18, 2012, one of the priorities of the Bangladesh government, the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project, i.e., the Metro Rail Project, was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council. Later, according to the revised strategic transport plan made in 2016, the number of metro rail lines to be built in Dhaka was increased to five. The government established the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) in the same year to build and operate the metro rail in Dhaka. Construction Meanwhile, the main work of the Metrorail project in Bangladesh started in August 2017. Funding is provided by JICA, the Japanese government’s development agency. The total length of MRT Line-6 from Uttara to Motijheel in Dhaka is 20.26 km. Among these, Uttara-Agargaon is open commercially. Read More: Opening of metro rail in Dhaka a historic moment: Japanese Embassy On June 26, 2016, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina officially inaugurated the construction of the MRT-6 project. Through this, the construction work of Dhaka Metro started. MRT-6 station and runway construction officially started on August 2, 2017. On the same day, construction of a 12 km runway and station from Uttara to Agargaon started. On February 25, 2019, construction of the station and runway of Agargaon to the Motijheel section started. Passenger Capacity MRT Line-6 ​can carof ry 60 thousand passengers per hour. Each one-way metro train with 6 coaches can carry a maximum of 2,308 passengers. Hence, Metrorail can transport a large number of passengers in a short time. According to a study cited by DMTCL, after the launch of MRT Line-6, during the operation of the metro rail, about Tk 8.38 crore will be saved in terms of daily Travel Time Cost, about Tk 1.8 crore will be saved in terms of Vehicle Operation Cost. The saved working hours can be used for the socioeconomic development of the country. Read More: US Embassy greets Bangladesh for inaugurating the country's first-ever Metro Rail Total Number of Trains Initially, 12 trains have been kept ready for movement, but 10 will carry passengers directly. The remaining two will be ready at the depot for movement at any time. Each train will have 6 coaches. The average speed is 30 km per hour. Metro rail can run up to a speed of 100 kilometers per hour with passengers. Stations and Routes 9 stations of the opened route from Uttara to Agargaon are Uttara North, Uttara Center, Uttara Dakshin, Pallabi, Mirpur 11, Mirpur 10, Kazipara, Sheorapara, and Agargaon.  Schedule Starting from December 29, 2022, to March 26, 2023, the train will run directly from Uttara to Agargaon, and there will be no stoppage. Now the train will wait 10 minutes at Agargaon. All passengers must leave the train by this time, and during this time, the passengers going north will board the train. Then the train will depart for Uttara. It will take 10 minutes to reach Agargaon from Uttara by non-stop journey. Initially, the metro rail will run for four hours from 8 AM to 12 PM. Once the passengers get used to the service, metro rail will start in full phase and stop at all stations after March 26. Read More: Long queues seen at Agargaon station as metro rail opens to public 50 BRTC Buses will Carry Passengers There will be 50 BRTC buses to take metro rail passengers from the Uttara House building area to Uttara North station. Besides, CNG, buses, minibusses, motorcycles, and other transports can also take passengers from metro stations. How to Buy Dhaka Metro Rail Tickets? Passengers can buy one-way tickets or make MRT cards to travel by metro rail. Passengers can also travel on the metro rail with ease using Rapid Pass. The fare is Tk 5 per kilometer, while the minimum fare is Tk 20. The fare from Uttara North to Agargaon will be Tk 60.  Single Journey Ticket and MRT Pass can be purchased from the Ticket Office Machine (TOM) with the help of the seller. Passengers can purchase Single Journey Ticket and MRT Pass Top-up automatically from Ticket Vending Machine (TVM). MRT Pass Top-up can also be done through Mobile and Web Applications such as cards and mobile financial services. Single Journey Tickets can be purchased by paying the fare fixed by the government according to the travel distance. MRT Pass and Rapid Pass will be subject to fare deductions as per the travel distance determined by the government. Read More: Fares of metro rail are reasonable: Quader MRT pass cards can be recharged from Tk 200 up to Tk 10,000 from each ticket counter of the station. Moreover, those who can recharge themselves can recharge by going to the top up option at the ticket vending mactop-upHowever, top up using mobile financial services such as bKash, Upay, and DBBL cards are not active yet. These features will soon be started. How to Get an MRT Pass Card and Rapid Pass? For those who don’t want to collect tickets repeatedly to travel by metro rail regularly, there are MRT pass cards. By using this, you can travel as many times as you want just by recharging the money. However, you will need to submit an application to get an MRT pass card. The application form is now available on the DMTCL (dmtcl.gov.bd) website. Besides, you can also collect from the stations. MRT pass cards can be collected by filling out the form and visiting the ticket counter of any metro rail station. The cost of the card is Tk 200, and the security deposit is Tk 200. On the other hand, A Rapid Pass card is valid for ten years. And it can be recharged from Tk 100 to Tk 10,000. Read More: PM Hasina buys Dhaka's first metro rail ticket to become its first passenger Final Words So far, we have highlighted the details of the Uttara to Agargaon route, the first phase of the MRT-6 project. As Dhaka metro rail has the ability to transport many passengers at once, the government is hoping to reduce the pressure on the roads. A different dimension and speed will be added to the transport system of Dhaka city. Hence, the working hours of city dwellers will be saved, and traffic congestion will be reduced to a great extent.

A 50-year-old man died in police custody Wednesday after he was detained following a clash between two groups at Rajuk Bhaban in Dhaka's Uttara in the afternoon. Hiron Miah, a businessman from Khilkhet, fell sick at Uttara East Police Station at 5:10pm and was declared dead after being taken to Kuwait Bangladesh  Friendship  Hospital, Johirul Islam, officer-in-charge of the police station, said. Hiron was detained at 4:30pm over a clash at Rajuk Uttara Bhaban, he added. After getting a 999 call, police rushed to the spot and detained Hiron. Forty minutes later when someone called Aminul Islam was filing a case against Hiron, the 50-year-old fell ill at Uttara East Police Station and was rushed to the hospital. However, Hiron's family said he went to the Rajuk office to get a plan approved. "At that time, some people beat him up and would not let him go. They later called 999 and had Hiron detained," Hiron's wife said. Read more: Drug peddler snatched from police custody in Ctg; woman shot dead