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Metro rail: Construction from Motijheel to Kamalapur to be delayed
The construction of metro rail from Motijheel to Kamalapur is set to be delayed due to the proposal of higher cost by the contractor. Although the extended part was supposed to be opened in June 2025, an uncertainty has emerged over the opening of the 1.25 kilometer-route even in the next year.
en.prothomalo.com
Metro rail: Construction from Motijheel to Kamalapur to be delayed
Anowar Hossain Dhaka
Updated: 19 May 2025, 16: 11
The construction of metro rail from Motijheel to Kamalapur is set to be delayed due to the proposal of higher costs by the contractor.
Although the extended part was supposed to be opened in June 2025, uncertainty has emerged over the opening of the 1.25 kilometer-route even next year.
Sources at the metro rail project said problems has appeared over appointing contractors without open tender.
The Indian contracting firm Larsen & Toubro has submitted a bid that is more than double the estimated cost. The interim government is not interested in proceeding with the work at such a high price. In this situation, instructions have been given to either accept proposals from alternative contractors or to invite new bids.
The decision to extend the metro rail to Kamalapur was made in 2022. A contractor was appointed the following year, in 2023, for the construction of the elevated structure and the station at Kamalapur. According to the contract, the work was supposed to be completed by June of this year. However, due to slow progress, the deadline has been extended to December.
According to officials concerned, progress on the construction work of the Motijheel–Kamalapur section—such as the elevated roadway and station construction at Kamalapur—is very limited. Meanwhile, a contractor has yet to be appointed for the other tasks, including the installation of the railway line, electrical systems, and signaling (electromechanical works).
Inquiry into the complications surrounding contractor appointment revealed that the then Awami League government had planned to implement the extended section of the project from Motijheel to Kamalapur using the same contractors working on the Motijheel–Uttara segment, without issuing a separate tender. This was treated as an additional work (variation) under the existing contract. The government at that time appointed contractors for the physical construction work.
Beyond that, they spent nearly a year trying to appoint an Indian contractor for other tasks, including the installation of the railway line, electrical systems, and signaling. However, those efforts were unsuccessful. After the fall of the Awami League government during the mass uprising on 5 August of last year, the issue of the contractor's high bid came to light.
Metro rail File photo
The decision to extend the metro rail to Kamalapur was made in 2022. A contractor was appointed the following year, in 2023, for the construction of the elevated structure and the station at Kamalapur. According to the contract, the work was supposed to be completed by June of this year. However, due to slow progress, the deadline has been extended to December.
It was found Larsen & Toubro’s bid to be excessively high. Even if just one taka of taxpayers' money can be saved, that effort should be made---DMTCL board member and BUET professor Md Hadiuzzaman.
According officials concerned, as of April, the construction work on the section from Motijheel to Kamalapur was 50.97 per cent complete.
According to projections, the metro rail from Uttara to Motijheel is expected to carry 500,000 passengers daily. However, currently, more than 400,000 people use the metro each day. Once extended to Kamalapur, the daily passenger count is expected to rise to 677,000. The longer the delay in opening the extended section, the more the opportunity to transport additional passengers will be missed. Regular commuters along that route will also continue to suffer due to traffic congestion.
Kabir Hossain works at a hotel in Kamalapur. He lives in the Farmgate area. Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said that he currently travels from Farmgate to Motijheel by metro. After getting off at Motijheel, he has to take a rickshaw to reach his destination, which costs him Tk 40. On the return trip, he again takes a rickshaw to Motijheel.
Kabir Hossain noted that many long-distance train passengers from Kamalapur railway station also commute in a similar manner. If the metro rail were extended to Kamalapur, it would significantly ease the commute for train passengers as well as people working in nearby offices and businesses.
The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) is responsible for building and operating the metro rail in Dhaka. A source at the organisation said that completing the remaining work—including rail line installation, electrical systems, and signaling—will take at least a year and a half. Regardless of whether a new contractor is appointed or the task is assigned to the Indian company, it could take up to two more years for the metro to reach Kamalapur. In the meantime, the physical construction—such as the station and elevated track—will be completed, but they will remain unused.
After getting off at Motijheel, I have to take a rickshaw to reach my destination, which costs me Tk 40. On the return trip, I again take a rickshaw to Motijheel---Kabir Hossain.
Contractor demands more than double
The work on the Motijheel–Kamalapur section of the metro rail has been divided into two parts (packages). The physical work includes the construction of the elevated track and the station at Kamalapur. To operate the trains, seven additional types of work are required. These include installation of the rail tracks, elevators, escalators, monitors, platform screen doors aligned with train doors, signaling systems, and automated fare collection machines. In addition, the power supply system, including substations for operating the trains and station facilities, must also be set up. All of these tasks have been grouped under a single package. However, there is no need for new trains or coaches for this segment, as 24 sets have already been imported.
To operate the trains, seven additional types of work are required. These include installation of the rail tracks, elevators, escalators, monitors, platform screen doors aligned with train doors, signaling systems, and automated fare collection machines. In addition, the power supply system, including substations for operating the trains and station facilities, must also be set up. All of these tasks have been grouped under a single package.
According to sources at DMTCL, the track, electrical, and signaling work for the Uttara–Motijheel section was carried out jointly by Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and India’s Larsen & Toubro. The previous Awami League government had planned to assign the extended section’s work to the same contractor. It was argued at the time that assigning it to a different company would complicate coordination with the Uttara–Motijheel segment. However, experts believe that this claim has no real technical basis.
According to sources concerned, for the Kamalapur section's rail, electrical, and signaling work, Larsen & Toubro expressed interest in handling the entire package alone—without Japan’s Marubeni Corporation. They were invited to submit a bid and, after nearly a year, they submitted their proposal in July last year. Their proposed cost was Tk 6.45 billiond, while the project authority had allocated only Tk 2.74 billion for this work. At the time Larsen & Toubro submitted their proposal, student and public protests were ongoing in the country, so the Awami League government could not approve the bid.
After the interim government took office in September last year, the issue was raised in a board meeting of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). The board showed no interest in awarding the contract at such a high cost and advised reducing expenses. Following this, the project authority negotiated with the Indian contractor three times. Ultimately, Larsen & Toubro submitted a final bid of Tk 5.90 billion—still more than double the estimated cost.
In late April, DMTCL once again sought guidance from the board regarding this issue. The board recommended either accepting proposals from alternative contractors or issuing a new tender.
The physical construction work of the Motijheel–Kamalapur section is being carried out by Italian-Thai Development Public Company, based in Thailand, under a contract worth Tk 5.11 billion. They have partnered with Bangladesh’s McDonald Steel as an associate contractor.
Italian-Thai also did the physical construction work for the Uttara–Agargaon section. Additionally, the Agargaon–Motijheel section was built by Japan’s Tekken and Sumitomo Mitsui Corporation. The project authority also invited bids from them for the extended Kamalapur section.
A DMTCL official, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said that although the physical construction for the Kamalapur section was not awarded through an open tender, there was still competition because multiple companies submitted proposals. However, for the package involving the rail line, electrical, and signaling work, Larsen & Toubro was the sole bidder, which has brought the high cost into question.
By virtue of his position, road transport and highways division senior secretary Ehsanul Haque is the chairman of DMTCL's board.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said, "A contractor cannot be appointed without competition." He also mentioned that they are discussing the matter with the funding agency JICA and that a new tender will be issued.
Recommendation to appoint contractor through open tender
The Uttara to Agargaon section of the metro rail was inaugurated on 28 December 2022. The Agargaon to Motijheel section was opened on 4 November 2023. According to the project proposal, the extension to Kamalapur is scheduled to be operational by June this year.
The official name of the metro line from Uttara to Kamalapur is MRT Line-6. The distance from Uttara to Motijheel is 20.1 kilometers, and to Kamalapur it is 21.26 kilometers—meaning the extended portion adds 1.16 kilometers. There are a total of 17 stations from Uttara to Kamalapur.
When the metro rail project was approved in 2012, the estimated cost was Tk 219.85 billion. That figure has now increased to Tk 334.72 billion. A loan of Tk 197.18 billion has been taken from JICA, Japan’s international development agency.
Md Hadiuzzaman, a board member of DMTCL and a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), told Prothom Alo that delays have already occurred in the overall metro rail project and in the physical construction work for the Motijheel–Kamalapur section. He said that even if it causes a bit more delay, a new contractor should be appointed through an open tender process.
Explaining his reasoning, he said he also found Larsen & Toubro’s bid to be excessively high. “Even if just one taka of taxpayers' money can be saved, that effort should be made,” he added.
Anowar Hossain Dhaka
Updated: 19 May 2025, 16: 11
The construction of metro rail from Motijheel to Kamalapur is set to be delayed due to the proposal of higher costs by the contractor.
Although the extended part was supposed to be opened in June 2025, uncertainty has emerged over the opening of the 1.25 kilometer-route even next year.
Sources at the metro rail project said problems has appeared over appointing contractors without open tender.
The Indian contracting firm Larsen & Toubro has submitted a bid that is more than double the estimated cost. The interim government is not interested in proceeding with the work at such a high price. In this situation, instructions have been given to either accept proposals from alternative contractors or to invite new bids.
The decision to extend the metro rail to Kamalapur was made in 2022. A contractor was appointed the following year, in 2023, for the construction of the elevated structure and the station at Kamalapur. According to the contract, the work was supposed to be completed by June of this year. However, due to slow progress, the deadline has been extended to December.
According to officials concerned, progress on the construction work of the Motijheel–Kamalapur section—such as the elevated roadway and station construction at Kamalapur—is very limited. Meanwhile, a contractor has yet to be appointed for the other tasks, including the installation of the railway line, electrical systems, and signaling (electromechanical works).
Inquiry into the complications surrounding contractor appointment revealed that the then Awami League government had planned to implement the extended section of the project from Motijheel to Kamalapur using the same contractors working on the Motijheel–Uttara segment, without issuing a separate tender. This was treated as an additional work (variation) under the existing contract. The government at that time appointed contractors for the physical construction work.
Beyond that, they spent nearly a year trying to appoint an Indian contractor for other tasks, including the installation of the railway line, electrical systems, and signaling. However, those efforts were unsuccessful. After the fall of the Awami League government during the mass uprising on 5 August of last year, the issue of the contractor's high bid came to light.
Metro rail File photo
The decision to extend the metro rail to Kamalapur was made in 2022. A contractor was appointed the following year, in 2023, for the construction of the elevated structure and the station at Kamalapur. According to the contract, the work was supposed to be completed by June of this year. However, due to slow progress, the deadline has been extended to December.
It was found Larsen & Toubro’s bid to be excessively high. Even if just one taka of taxpayers' money can be saved, that effort should be made---DMTCL board member and BUET professor Md Hadiuzzaman.
According officials concerned, as of April, the construction work on the section from Motijheel to Kamalapur was 50.97 per cent complete.
According to projections, the metro rail from Uttara to Motijheel is expected to carry 500,000 passengers daily. However, currently, more than 400,000 people use the metro each day. Once extended to Kamalapur, the daily passenger count is expected to rise to 677,000. The longer the delay in opening the extended section, the more the opportunity to transport additional passengers will be missed. Regular commuters along that route will also continue to suffer due to traffic congestion.
Kabir Hossain works at a hotel in Kamalapur. He lives in the Farmgate area. Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said that he currently travels from Farmgate to Motijheel by metro. After getting off at Motijheel, he has to take a rickshaw to reach his destination, which costs him Tk 40. On the return trip, he again takes a rickshaw to Motijheel.
Kabir Hossain noted that many long-distance train passengers from Kamalapur railway station also commute in a similar manner. If the metro rail were extended to Kamalapur, it would significantly ease the commute for train passengers as well as people working in nearby offices and businesses.
The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) is responsible for building and operating the metro rail in Dhaka. A source at the organisation said that completing the remaining work—including rail line installation, electrical systems, and signaling—will take at least a year and a half. Regardless of whether a new contractor is appointed or the task is assigned to the Indian company, it could take up to two more years for the metro to reach Kamalapur. In the meantime, the physical construction—such as the station and elevated track—will be completed, but they will remain unused.
After getting off at Motijheel, I have to take a rickshaw to reach my destination, which costs me Tk 40. On the return trip, I again take a rickshaw to Motijheel---Kabir Hossain.
Contractor demands more than double
The work on the Motijheel–Kamalapur section of the metro rail has been divided into two parts (packages). The physical work includes the construction of the elevated track and the station at Kamalapur. To operate the trains, seven additional types of work are required. These include installation of the rail tracks, elevators, escalators, monitors, platform screen doors aligned with train doors, signaling systems, and automated fare collection machines. In addition, the power supply system, including substations for operating the trains and station facilities, must also be set up. All of these tasks have been grouped under a single package. However, there is no need for new trains or coaches for this segment, as 24 sets have already been imported.
To operate the trains, seven additional types of work are required. These include installation of the rail tracks, elevators, escalators, monitors, platform screen doors aligned with train doors, signaling systems, and automated fare collection machines. In addition, the power supply system, including substations for operating the trains and station facilities, must also be set up. All of these tasks have been grouped under a single package.
According to sources at DMTCL, the track, electrical, and signaling work for the Uttara–Motijheel section was carried out jointly by Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and India’s Larsen & Toubro. The previous Awami League government had planned to assign the extended section’s work to the same contractor. It was argued at the time that assigning it to a different company would complicate coordination with the Uttara–Motijheel segment. However, experts believe that this claim has no real technical basis.
According to sources concerned, for the Kamalapur section's rail, electrical, and signaling work, Larsen & Toubro expressed interest in handling the entire package alone—without Japan’s Marubeni Corporation. They were invited to submit a bid and, after nearly a year, they submitted their proposal in July last year. Their proposed cost was Tk 6.45 billiond, while the project authority had allocated only Tk 2.74 billion for this work. At the time Larsen & Toubro submitted their proposal, student and public protests were ongoing in the country, so the Awami League government could not approve the bid.
After the interim government took office in September last year, the issue was raised in a board meeting of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). The board showed no interest in awarding the contract at such a high cost and advised reducing expenses. Following this, the project authority negotiated with the Indian contractor three times. Ultimately, Larsen & Toubro submitted a final bid of Tk 5.90 billion—still more than double the estimated cost.
In late April, DMTCL once again sought guidance from the board regarding this issue. The board recommended either accepting proposals from alternative contractors or issuing a new tender.
The physical construction work of the Motijheel–Kamalapur section is being carried out by Italian-Thai Development Public Company, based in Thailand, under a contract worth Tk 5.11 billion. They have partnered with Bangladesh’s McDonald Steel as an associate contractor.
Italian-Thai also did the physical construction work for the Uttara–Agargaon section. Additionally, the Agargaon–Motijheel section was built by Japan’s Tekken and Sumitomo Mitsui Corporation. The project authority also invited bids from them for the extended Kamalapur section.
A DMTCL official, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said that although the physical construction for the Kamalapur section was not awarded through an open tender, there was still competition because multiple companies submitted proposals. However, for the package involving the rail line, electrical, and signaling work, Larsen & Toubro was the sole bidder, which has brought the high cost into question.
By virtue of his position, road transport and highways division senior secretary Ehsanul Haque is the chairman of DMTCL's board.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said, "A contractor cannot be appointed without competition." He also mentioned that they are discussing the matter with the funding agency JICA and that a new tender will be issued.
Recommendation to appoint contractor through open tender
The Uttara to Agargaon section of the metro rail was inaugurated on 28 December 2022. The Agargaon to Motijheel section was opened on 4 November 2023. According to the project proposal, the extension to Kamalapur is scheduled to be operational by June this year.
The official name of the metro line from Uttara to Kamalapur is MRT Line-6. The distance from Uttara to Motijheel is 20.1 kilometers, and to Kamalapur it is 21.26 kilometers—meaning the extended portion adds 1.16 kilometers. There are a total of 17 stations from Uttara to Kamalapur.
When the metro rail project was approved in 2012, the estimated cost was Tk 219.85 billion. That figure has now increased to Tk 334.72 billion. A loan of Tk 197.18 billion has been taken from JICA, Japan’s international development agency.
Md Hadiuzzaman, a board member of DMTCL and a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), told Prothom Alo that delays have already occurred in the overall metro rail project and in the physical construction work for the Motijheel–Kamalapur section. He said that even if it causes a bit more delay, a new contractor should be appointed through an open tender process.
Explaining his reasoning, he said he also found Larsen & Toubro’s bid to be excessively high. “Even if just one taka of taxpayers' money can be saved, that effort should be made,” he added.
