Dhaka, Dec. 28 (BNA): Bangladesh launched its first metro train service in the populous capital on Wednesday, funded by Japan, amid enthusiasm for the continued development boom in the South Asian country with domestic and foreign funds.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the service, accompanied by newly appointed Japanese Ambassador Kimenori Iwama and Ichiguchi Tomohide, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, or JICA.
In June, Hasina inaugurated a 6.51-kilometre (4.04 mi) bridge spanning the Padma River, which was built by China at a cost of about $3.6 billion paid with local money. It was one of more than 100 bridges opened by Hasina in recent months.
A limited version of the metro service launched on Wednesday and is expected to grow to more than 100 stations and six lines criss-crossing the city by 2030, the AP reports.
Part of the first line connects a major district on the periphery of Dhaka with the city centre. It was built at a cost of $2.8 billion and funded largely by JICA.
The line is expected to carry 60,000 people every hour when fully operational, according to project documents.
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