Work on the Kamalapur extension of Dhaka’s metro rail has reached 70.92 per cent completion, with authorities aiming to bring the 1.16-kilometre stretch into commercial operation next year.
The project director of Metro Rail Line-6, retired Brigadier General Md Abdul Wahab, said on Thursday that construction work on the Motijheel-to-Kamalapur section was progressing at a rapid pace.
He said the installation of major electrical and signalling equipment, including automated platform doors and the signalling system, would begin next year. Commercial services on the extended section are expected to start in April or May, once system installation and testing are completed.
Md Abdul Wahab added that track installation work on the section is expected to be finished within the next two to three months.
Earlier, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTC) managing director Faruque Ahmed said the Kamalapur section is scheduled to open on 1 January 2027, as preparatory work on systems and tracks is moving forward at full speed.
Project officials said that by December 2025, construction of all 177 piles, pile caps, piers and station columns had been completed. Precast parapet walls have also been installed, while the steel roof structure and steel erection work at the station are finished.
According to project data, around 2,800 square metres of brick wall and plaster work at the concourse level have already been completed. Authorities are now carrying out intensive construction activities, alongside finalising agreements for the installation of electrical and mechanical systems.
The government has also reported savings of Tk 185 crore from electromechanical work on the metro rail project, particularly on the Motijheel-Kamalapur section.
As of 31 December 2025, the overall progress of the Uttara North-to-Motijheel section stood at 99.97 per cent, while the Motijheel-to-Kamalapur extension recorded progress of 69.85 per cent.
Bangladesh’s first Mass Rapid Transit line, MRT-6, will run a total distance of 21.26 kilometres, connecting Diabari in Uttara with Mirpur, Agargaon, Farmgate, Shahbagh, Dhaka University, Motijheel and Kamalapur.
Commercial operations on the Uttara-to-Motijheel section began in November 2023, marking a major milestone in Dhaka’s urban transport system. Once the Kamalapur extension is completed, the metro rail will directly link the capital’s main railway terminal with its northern suburbs.
