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Thursday | October 15, 2026 | Dhaka

MRT Line-1 utility work faces 2027 delay

 BSS
 Published: 12:01 AM, 15 October 2026

Utility relocation at four underground stations of Dhaka’s MRT Line-1 will begin this month, while delays could extend some relocation activities until October or November 2027, beyond the project authority’s initial March 2027 target, officials said.

Utility relocation for Dhaka’s first underground metro rail project is progressing at several stations, with work scheduled to begin this month at Kamalapur, Rajarbagh, Malibagh and Rampura under contract package (CP)-3.

Md Sarwar Uddin Khan, project director of the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-1), told BSS that utility relocation at Natunbazar, Uttar Badda, Badda and Aftabnagar underground stations under CP-4 was progressing fast.

He said relocation work at Uttar Badda, Badda and Aftabnagar stations began on January 20, 2025.
Utility relocation at Airport, Terminal-3 and Khilkhet stations under CP-6, and Nodda station under CP-5, has already been completed, according to the project director.

The country’s first underground metro rail, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-1, is being implemented through 12 contract packages. Construction began on February 2, 2023, following the completion of detailed studies, surveys, basic designs and detailed designs for both routes.

Under the project, Bangladesh Army’s 24 Engineer has been carrying out utility relocation work near 12 underground stations to shift scattered utility lines and services into a “Utility Common Corridor”.

Coordination with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Traffic Division) is continuing to ensure proper traffic management around construction sites, according to project details.

Utility relocation at the remaining stations is planned in coordination with the main project package, and the necessary activities are underway.

Although the project authority initially targeted March 2027 to complete the work, the official indicated that some activities could continue until October or November next year.

MRT Line-1, inaugurated in February 2023, comprises two interconnected routes intended to improve public transport connectivity in Dhaka and surrounding areas.

The 19.872-kilometre underground Airport route will have 12 stations connecting Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with Kamalapur Railway Station.

The 11.369-kilometre Purbachal route will have seven elevated stations and two underground stations, connecting Notun Bazar with Purbachal.

Under contract package CP-1, land development for the depot on 35.90 hectares (88.71 acres) at Pitalganj Mouza in Rupganj Upazila of Narayanganj district was completed on August 31, 2025. The work began on March 1, 2023.

The transfer of land owned by Bangladesh Railway, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, the Roads and Highways Department, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Public Works Department and the Ministry of Education to Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) for the project and associated infrastructure is also underway.

On September 16, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved budget revisions for MRT Line-1 and the 20-kilometre MRT Line-5 (Northern) projects, both financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Once completed, MRT Line-1 is expected to improve urban mobility, ease traffic congestion and contribute to a better urban environment in Dhaka and its adjoining areas.