The Dhaka University Metro Rail Station will remain closed on December 16, 25, 31, and January 1 for security reasons, said DU Proctor Professor Saifuddin Ahmed. “I attended a meeting with the Home Affairs Advisor regarding the country’s law and order situation. At the meeting, I recommended closing the Dhaka University Metro Station for these four days to maintain the overall security of the campus. This proposal has been accepted, and the metro rail authorities will be formally notified soon,” he said at a press briefing held at the Proctor's Office on Sunday. Mirpur-10 metro station reopens after nearly 3 months The proctor said that while the university has six entry points that can be shut down if necessary, the metro station provides unrestricted access to outsiders. “Even if we close the university’s entry points, people can still enter through the metro station. Therefore, we suggested closing the station, and the recommendation has been approved,” he said. Mirpur-10 metro station to reopen Tuesday The metro rail authorities are expected to release an official statement soon regarding the operational changes during the specified dates.  

The Mirpur-10 metro rail station reopened on Tuesday, almost three months after it was vandalised in July last.  “Today we reopened the Mirpur-10 metro station after two months and 17 days. Tk 1.25 crore has so far been spent (to repair the Mirpur-10 and Kazipara metro rail station). Some damaged equipment was replaced here by ones from the other two stations not disturbing their operations,” said Road Transport and Bridges Adviser M Fouzul Kabir Khan. But when the equipment for the other two stations will be brought, then the final cost against repairing the Kazipara and Mirpur-10 metro rail stations would be some Tk 18.86 crore, he said adding that some spare equipment will also be procured within the cost. The adviser said this while exchanging greetings with metro rail passengers and journalists at the Mirpur-10 metro rail station in the capital on the occasion of reopening the station. On July 19, miscreants went on a rampage at Mirpur-10 and Kazipara metro stations amid the student movement for quota reform in the public service jobs, which later turned into a student-people uprising that toppled the Sheikh Hasina-led government. Kazipara metro rail station was reopened on September 20 last. The adviser said they will not seek money from the government for the repair works as the cost of Tk 18.86 crore will be spent from the fund of the Mass Rapid Transit Company. Pointing at the previous Awami League government’s estimated repairing cost, Fouzul Kabir said it was said it would take Tk 350 crore and one year to reopen the two damaged stations. But now his government estimated that it would take only Tk 18.86 crore. “So, there are development lessons from here,” he added. Citing a development lesson, he said the World Bank has recently projected 4pc GDP growth for Bangladesh in the current fiscal year. The people are frustrated that the GDP growth rate is coming down to 4pc from more than 6pc. He said the growth rate is just some numbers. “The 6pc plus growth didn't reflect the real development as huge money was wasted and siphoned off the country in the name of big projects. But the money was not spent for actual development of the people.” Kazipara station reopens as Metro Rail starts running on Fridays “If we spent Tk 350 crore over one year, it would raise our growth, but it won't be any real development. So, now what growth would be achieved is real development. The people would really be benefited,” he went on. Noting that the government has withdrawn the condition of being former secretary to be the Managing Director of the Mass Rapid Transit Company, he said they sought applications to recruit a metro rail expert to the post.  He urged Bangladeshi experts living abroad to apply for the post as the recruitment process would be fair and freed from any sort of influence. No students were behind vandalism at two metro rail stations:  Replying to a question, the adviser said no students vandalised the two metro rail stations rather miscreants did it. “There are some CCTV footages of it.  None of the students did these, but other people who are miscreants did it.  We have given that CCTV footages to the Inspector General of Police. They (Police) are taking action,” he said. In reply to a question  if the interim government would revise the costs of other MRT projects, the Road Transport and Bridges adviser said Japanese are implementing the projects, but Japanese are very cautious against corruption as they will be accountable also to their own country in case of any corruption here. “That’s why we have now taken steps to recruit an experienced person to the Managing Director post to save costs. We have also sought Korean support alongside Japanese.  We’ve sought cooperation from the Korean EDCF (the Economic Development Cooperation Fund),” said the adviser. Senior Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division Md. Ehsanul Hoque and Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd Mohammad Abdur Rouf were present.