Bangladesh open it's first Metro rail for public use

The Dhaka Metro Rail, the very first Metro Rail in Bangladesh, has been opened to the public today after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the project yesterday (December 28).

Metro rail service has started running on Agargaon to Uttara and Uttara to Agargaon routes of the Capital city Dhaka from 8am from Thursday (29 December). 

At Agargaon station, passengers stood in long line since early morning to buy tickets and board the metro rail. 

Some are office goers, while some have come with their families to take a ride in the country's first metro service. 

Some were seen taking selfies as, despite the long queue, people standing in the line were in a festive mood. 

"Metro rail will be opened to public today. I came to ride it. I have always seen it abroad. Today I will ride the metro rail of my country," a passenger named Iqbal Hossain said. 

"I came with my family this morning to ride the metro rail. It is nice that we have metro rail like developed countries. So I didn't want to miss the first experience," said Iftekharul Alam, who came with his family.

Bangladesh PM Hasina inaugurated the operation of the first phase of the project-- Uttara to Agargaon from Uttara sector-15 playground. She took the first official ride from Diabari of Uttara to Agargaon after buying a ticket. Marking the occasion, she also unveiled a commemorative stamp and a banknote.

Bangladesh is the third country in South Asia to operate metro rail service - being a late starter in the expensive and complicated venture compared to neighboring India which got its first metro commissioned in 1984 in Kolkata. Pakistan started its first metro in Lahore just two years ago.