The Planning Commission has approved the construction of the southern route for Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-5, which will connect Gabtoli to Dasherkandi. The approval was granted during a meeting of the Project Evaluation Committee.
The planning ministry is now preparing to present the project proposal to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for final approval.
The project, estimated to cost Tk 47,721 crore, is scheduled to be completed by 2031. Originally proposed in 2023 by the Awami League government with an estimated cost of Tk 54,618 crore, the project cost was revised down to Tk 47,721 crore. A significant portion of the funding, Tk 32,332 crore, will be provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the South Korean government.
Following the appointment of the interim government, the planning commission had initially returned the proposal to Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) under the Roads and Highways Division to evaluate whether the project should move forward. The Roads and Highways Division confirmed its implementation, and the proposal was resubmitted to the planning ministry for further action.
Once completed, the southern MRT Line-5 route will run from Gabtoli to Dasherkandi, passing through key areas such as Kalyanpur, Shyamoli, Asad Gate, Russell Square, Karwan Bazar, Hatirjheel, Tejgaon, and Aftabnagar. The line will feature a combination of 11 underground stations and four elevated stations. The underground stations will be located between Gabtoli and Aftabnagar, while the elevated stations will be from Aftabnagar to Dasherkandi.
The line will initially operate 19 trains, each with six air-conditioned coaches. The middle coaches of each train will have a capacity of 323 passengers, while the trailer coaches will carry 308 passengers. With a travel time of just 28 minutes between Gabtoli and Dasherkandi, trains will depart every four and a half minutes.
The MRT Line-5 southern route is expected to ease traffic congestion and improve environmental conditions in Dhaka and its surrounding areas.
This approval comes after the successful commencement of operations for the country’s first metro rail line, MRT Line-6, in November 2023, excluding the Motijheel-Kamalapur section. The construction of two additional metro lines, MRT Line-5 (northern route) and MRT Line-1, is currently underway.
 Line-5, which will connect Gabtoli to Dasherkandi.){kind=link}