Bangladesh opens first metro service to ease Dhaka traffic

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh’s prime minister has inaugurated the country’s first metro rail service aimed at easing notorious traffic jams in capital Dhaka. Sheikh Hasina held a ceremony for a limited version of the service with the Japanese ambassador and the chief representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency. Japan funded the project with a $2.8 billion price tag. Dhaka is one of the world’s most densely populated cities with over 20 million people who struggle to commute on clogged roads. According to a research by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, the economy in Dhaka loses about $3 billion each year in lost work time due to traffic jams. The metro is expected to grow to over 100 stations and six lines crisscrossing the city by 2030.