MRT Line 2 (Dhaka Metro Rail)

Mass Rapid Transit Line 2
Mass Rapid Transit Line 2
Overview
Status	Proposed
Owner	Road Transport and Highways Division
Locale	Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh
Termini	Gabtoli (West); Narayanganj (South);
Stations	22
Colour on map	Violet (#8031A7)
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Dhaka Metro Rail
Operator(s)	Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited
Depot(s)	Matuail, Demra Thana
Technical
Line length	35 kilometres (22 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Character	Elevated and underground
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail and 1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed	100 km/h (62 mph)
Highest elevation	13 metres (43 ft)
Route map
Route map

The MRT Line 2 (Bengali: এমআরটি লাইন ২) is Dhaka's proposed rapid transit line. It will be the fifth of the Dhaka Metro Rail system and will be operated by Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). It is scheduled to open in 2030.

History

In 2005, the World Bank published a study report, recommending that the government of Bangladesh build a mass transit system in Dhaka. In the same year, American consultancy firm Louis Berger Group prepared a strategic transport plan for Dhaka.^[1] The World Bank helped to develop this plan, which proposed the construction of five MRT lines in Dhaka.^[2] The five metro lines were MRT Line 1, MRT Line 2, MRT Line 4, MRT Line 5 and MRT Line 6.^[3] On 15 June 2017, an agreement was signed between the government of Bangladesh and Japan to build MRT Line 2 on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis. On June 7 of the following year, a sub-working group headed by Marubeni was formed to list its construction project in the PPP.^[4] It was planned to connect Gabtoli with Kamalapur through MRT Line 2. On 1 October 2019, Selina Hayat Ivy, the mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation, submitted a written request to Obaidul Quader, the Road Transport and Bridges minister, to connect Narayanganj with the Dhaka Metro network. As a result, in the meeting of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority on 24 November 2019, it was decided to revise and extend the route of MRT Line 2 to Chittagong Road area of Narayanganj Sadar Upazila.^[5] The pre-feasibility report showed that three lakh passengers could travel through this line. 24 stations were proposed on the route and the proposed length of the line was 24 km.^[4] But the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) disagreed as the PPP study by the consultancy firm recommended that Japan should take the responsibility for operation and maintenance of MRT Line 2.^[6] Based on a preliminary study prepared by Oriental Consultants Global and PwC for the fiscal year 2020-21, the project was declared ineligible for implementation in a March 2021 report. However, in 2015 the finalized Strategic Transport Plan (STP) made the project feasible. According to the study, if construction is done in PPP, the government would have to bear 85% of the budget, so the government excludes it from PPP and looks for donor agencies for construction. On the other hand, with another railway project underway on the proposed route of MRT Line 2, DMTCL planned to change the route to connect the southern city of Narayanganj with the metro network. The proposed mass rapid transit line was budgeted at about ৳60,000 crore.^[7] In 2023, the government decided to request the Department of Economic Relations (ERD) to find donors to fund MRT Line 2.^[8] ERD found World Bank, Japan and South Korea as potential donors.^[9] On 3 July 2024, Export–Import Bank of China in a meeting with ERD expressed interest in lending 75% of the total budget of MRT Line 2.^[10] On the same day, local government and rural development and co-operatives minister Md Tazul Islam was assured of financial support for the project by Hara Shohei, vice president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.^[11] After the Yunus interim government was formed in August 2024, the Bangladesh Planning Commission, under the direction of Planning Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud, proposed to prioritize the implementation of the proposed line considering the economic importance and population density of the route and a branch line to Bijoy Sarani with revised route of Southern Route including only Hatirjheel–Dasherkandi section.^[12]

Stations

Main line

Code	Name		Connections	Location	Opened
Code	English	Bengali	Connections	Location	Opened

1	Gabtoli	গাবতলী	MRT Line 5N MRT Line 5S	Mirpur Model Thana	Planned
2	Dhaka Uddyan	ঢাকা উদ্যান		Mohammadpur Thana
3	Mohammadpur	মোহাম্মদপুর		Mohammadpur Thana
4	Jhigatola	ঝিগাতলা		Hazaribagh Thana
5	Science Lab	সায়েন্স ল্যাব		Dhanmondi Thana
6	New Market	নিউ মার্কেট		New Market Thana
7	Azimpur	আজিমপুর		Azimpur
8	Palashi	পলাশী		Lalbagh
9	Dhaka Medical College	ঢাকা মেডিকেল কলেজ		Shahbagh Thana
10	Gulistan	গুলিস্তান		Gulistan
11	Motijheel	মতিঝিল	MRT Line 6	Motijheel
12	Kamalapur	কমলাপুর	Bus station Bangladesh Railway MRT Line 1 MRT Line 4 MRT Line 6	Kamalapur
13	Manda	মান্ডা		Mugda Thana
14	Dakshingaon	দক্ষিণগাঁও		Sabujbagh Thana
15	Dhamripara	ধামড়িপাড়া		Demra Thana
16	Signboard	সাইনবোর্ড	MRT Line 4	Siddhirganj Thana
17	Bhuighar	ভুইঘর		Siddhirganj Thana
18	Jalkury	জালকুড়ি		Fatullah Thana
19	Narayanganj	নারায়ণগঞ্জ		Narayanganj Model Thana

Branch line

Code	Name		Connections	Location	Opened
Code	English	Bengali	Connections	Location	Opened

1	Gulistan	গুলিস্তান		Gulistan	Planned
2	Golap Shah Mazar	গোলাপ শাহ মাজার		Gulistan
3	Nayabazar	নয়াবাজার		Bangshal Thana
4	Sadarghat	সদরঘাট		Sadarghat

Depot

A land area totaling 65 hectares (0.65 km²) has been designated between Green Model Town and Amulia Model Town, encompassing the Matuail and Damripara mouzas in Demra. This allocation is intended for the construction of the depot, depot access corridors, and construction yards.^[13]