United News of Bangladesh

Amid recent attacks on political figures, politicians in Bangladesh are now facing serious security concerns alongside ordinary citizens, said Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Distinguished Fellow and Citizen’s Platform Convener Debapriya Bhattacharya on Sunday (December 14, 2025). Speaking at the inauguration of the Bangladesh Reform Tracker, organised by the Citizen’s Platform at Agargaon in the capital, Debapriya said citizens across the country are suffering from acute insecurity, with politicians now joining that list. “Citizen’s Platform has travelled across districts and identified a common problem—citizens are facing severe insecurity. Now politicians have joined them,” he said. Referring to the recent attack on Inqilab Mancha General Secretary Osman Hadi, Debapriya said, “We do not think this attack will be the last on politicians. Violence against women, attacks on minorities, citizens’ safety and now politicians’ security have all become major issues.” On the ongoing reform process, he said prolonged democratic deficits during previous governments had led to the emergence of a powerful oligarchic society, which now poses a major obstacle to reforms. Read more: BNP leaders meet CA; Tarique's security might be agenda Breaking this cycle of non-competitive politics and economy and advancing reforms remains a major challenge for present-day Bangladesh, he added. Appreciating the interim government, Debapriya said that while reforms were undertaken during previous governments, this is the first time an interim government has been formed with reform as its core objective. “The interim government has formed several commissions and taskforces as part of the reform initiative, which deserves appreciation,” he said. He, however, said the initial momentum of the reform process has weakened. “There has been a lack of consistent transparency in the reform process. Poor coordination within the government and inadequate public outreach on reforms have slowed the pace,” he said. Read more: Govt ready to provide special security to Tarique Rahman: Home Adviser Debapriya also pointed out that the absence of a political manifesto has made the implementation of reforms more challenging. Speaking about the Reform Tracker, he said citizen participation is essential for successful reforms. “Without meaningful citizen engagement, vested groups may capture reforms for their own interests. The Reform Tracker has been launched to keep citizens continuously connected with the reform process,” he said. “Planning reforms is not as difficult as implementing them. Without alignment between theory and practice, reforms cannot succeed,” Debupriya added. In a presentation at the event, CPD Additional Director (Research) Towfiqul Islam Khan said the website would allow anyone to track the progress of reforms across various issues. Read more: Bangladesh shifts fiscal gears as bank debt falls “This will ensure citizens remain actively engaged with the reform process and its implementation,” he said.

Mobile phone traders and employees blocked the road in front of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission office in Agargaon on Sunday (December 07, 2025) in protest against the government move to disable unapproved handsets. Police said the demonstration began around 10:30am when the protesters took position on the road in front of the BTRC building, halting traffic on one side of the Shyamoli–Agargaon route. Read more: BTRC to deactivate extra SIMs beyond limit from Saturday Long tailbacks were created at the Shishumela intersection, Shyamoli’s Mirpur Road and parts of Agargaon and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar due to the blockade. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam said vehicle movement from Shishumela towards Agargaon remained suspended as the traders occupied the road. Traffic on the opposite lane was moving normally, he said. One side of the road remained blocked till filing of this report at 2:20 pm. Read more: No phone purchased before Dec 16 would be blocked using NEIR: BTRC Commissioner

Six members of a family including a child suffered burn injuries in an explosion apparently from gas line leak at a house in Agargaon area of the capital early Saturday (December 06, 2025). The victims were identified as Jalil Mia, 50, Aneza Begum, 40, Asif Mia, 19, Sakib Mia, 16, Monira, 17 and Eva, 6. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital police camp, said the explosion occurred at the house of Jalil Mia around 4:30 am, leaving six members of the family injured. Later, they were taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery around 7:45 am and received treatment there. Read more: Fire Safety in Apartments: Causes and Prevention

In response to the unrest sparked by ongoing protests demanding reforms to the quota system in government jobs, mobile internet services have been temporarily shut down, State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Zunaid Ahmed Palak said today (July 18, 2024). During a press briefing at the ICT Tower in Dhaka’s Agargaon, Palak addressed the media, saying, “Mobile internet services have been temporarily halted due to the unstable situation created centering the protests. Once the situation stabilizes, we will restore connectivity promptly.” ‘Complete Shutdown’: Protestors, police clash in Dhaka’s Uttara; police box and 2 buses vandalized The state minister explained that the suspension was necessary to curb the spread of rumors and maintain stability amid the protests. “Various groups with vested interest have been spreading false information on social media, contributing to the instability. Hence, the decision to shut down mobile internet services was made without prior notice, based on the evolving situation,” he added. Palak also highlighted the government’s communication with major social media platforms like Facebook, Google, YouTube, and TikTok. He expressed dissatisfaction with their privacy policies concerning the removal of controversial content. “We have contacted these companies, but their privacy policies regarding content removal are not satisfactory. If their actions lead to any casualties, they will not be exempt from accountability. These companies must establish data centers in Bangladesh and operate in compliance with local laws,” he said. Read more: Shutdown cripples capital city amid clashes between police and protesters

Dhaka Metro Rail compartments were seen packed with commuters this morning (November 05, 2023) as arson violence was reported across the capital amid a road, rail and waterways blockade for 48 hours called by BNP, Jamaat and like-minded opposition parties across the country. Commuters in Dhaka were boarding the train in greater numbers to go from one part of the capital to others as Agargaon-Motijheel section of Dhaka Metro Rail opened to public this morning, almost a year after the first part of the MRT Line-6 (Uttara-Agargaon) opened. The opening of the entire route is now set to reduce travel time from one part of the capital to another by more than a third, according to project officials. On any other Sunday in Dhaka, it would typically take at least an hour and a half on the road to travel from the capital’s Uttara to Farmgate. Those days seem to be over now. Read more: 48hr blockade: 27 BGB platoons deployed in Dhaka, adjoining districts

Dhaka Metro Rail's Agargaon to Motijheel part will be opened to public on November 5, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate it on November 4, metro rail authorities said today (November 01, 2023). Initially, metro rail on Agargaon-Motijheel section will operate for four hours with three stations: Farmegate, Bangladesh Secretariat and Motijheel. Rest of the stations will be opened in phases, said M.A.N. Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), while talking to reporters today at Probashi Kallyan Bhaban. Inauguration of Agargaon- Motijheel section of Metro Rail postponed again; next date Nov 4 The prime minister is likely to inaugurate the movement of the train and will travel to Motijheel by metro rail on the inauguration day. She is expected to inaugurate the construction work of the MRT Northern route too, he said. Dhaka Metro Rail service to remain shut on Oct 14, 15 Dhaka commuters can travel from Agargaon to Motijheel between 7:30 am and 11:30 am from November 5. Inauguration of Agargaon- Motijheel section of Metro Rail postponed to Oct 29

Another light earthquake jolted parts of Dhaka today (September 17, 2023), just six days after a mild tremor. The earthquake, measuring 4.2 magnitude on the Richter Scale, was felt at 12:49 pm -- lasted only for a few seconds, according to a Bangladesh Meteorological Department update signed by Assistant Meteorologist Farzana Sultana. The epicentre of the earthquake was in Tangali district, 59 km northwest of the BMD Seismic Centre in Dhaka’s Agargaon, it said. Read: Earthquake jolts Sylhet again No casualties were reported. Earlier, on September 9, a mild earthquake jolted parts of Sylhet region. The earthquake, measuring 4.4 magnitude on the Richter Scale, originated in the Cachar district of India's Assam and lasted for a few seconds. Read more: 3.5 magnitude earthquake jolts Sylhet

After about 5 hours of partial grid line failure, power supply was restored in west Dhaka, including Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi and Mirpur areas. “From our end, power transmission was restored at the 230 kV grid line at 10:38 am. But it takes some time to fully restore electricity supply to distribution line,” Badruddoza Sumon, public relation officer of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), told UNB. “We hope, gradually power supply will be restored in all areas,” he added. Shahnaz Begum, who lives on Babar Road in Mohammadpur, said that her home was without electricity as of 11 am. Also Read: Aminbazar-Agargaon grid line failure: No electricity in Mohammadpur, Mirpur areas The 230 kV grid line from Aminbazar-Agargaon failed at 5:50 am today (February 21, 2023) — leading to no electricity in the western part of Dhaka city, including the entire Mohammadpur and Mirpur areas. Officials from both PGCB and Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited  (DPDC) confirmed the development. “The grid transmission line tripped at 5:50 am,” PGCB official Sumon earlier said. Further explaining, he said due to dense fog, sometimes grid lines can break down. Read More: Committee to review existing deals on coal purchase for power generation This is not a technical fault of the system, he added. Aminbazar-Mohammadpur grid line is one of the main sources supplying electricity to some of Dhaka city’s important establishments, including the Prime Minister’s official residence and Dhaka cantonment. Power supply continued through alternative sources to those important establishments although regular consumers are without electricity.  Read More: TIB for reviewing Dhaka's power purchase deal with Adani Group

The 230 kV grid line from Aminbazar-Agargaon failed at 5:50 am today (February 21, 2023)— leading to no electricity in the western part of Dhaka city, including the entire Mohammadpur and Mirpur areas. Officials from both Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) and Dhaka Power Distribution Company Limited  (DPDC) confirmed the development. “The grid transmission line tripped at 5:50 am,” Badruddoza Sumon, Public Relation Officer of the PGCB told UNB. Further explaining, he said due to the dense fog, sometimes grid lines can break down. Also Read: National power grid failure: Blackout across Bangladesh This is not a technical fault of the system, he added. He informed that the PGCB engineers are trying hard to restore the system by checking transmission towers. Aminbazar-Mohammadpur grid line is one of the main sources supplying electricity to some of Dhaka city’s important establishments, including the Prime Minister’s official residence and Dhaka cantonment. Power supply continued through alternative sources to those important establishments although regular consumers are without electricity. Read More: Committee to review existing deals on coal purchase for power generation Maniruzzaman, executive engineer of the Mohammadpur power distribution division of the DPDC, said power supply could not be restored until 9 am.

With the inauguration of Dhaka Metro Rail, Bangladesh has entered a new era of public transportation. The dream comes true, and the wait is over. On Wednesday, December 28, at 11:05 PM, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unveiled the much-awaited and first metro rail plaque of the country. After that, the Prime Minister waved the green flag and inaugurated the official journey of Bangladesh’s first metro rail. Metro Rail is joining the public transport with the message of relief in city life. It is open for passengers from December 29. However, the train will run directly from Diabari to Agargaon until March 26. After that, it will stop at every station in between. Let’s unfold every detail we know about the Dhaka Metro Rail project’s first phase Uttara-Agargaon route. An Overview of Dhaka Metro Rail MRT-6 First Phase The name of the project is Dhaka Metro Mass Rapid Transit-MRT-6. It is implemented by Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). The project is being implemented in two phases. Uttara to Agargaon (11.73 kilometers) is phase one, and Agargaon to Motijheel is phase two. Currently, the first phase is open, and the second phase is expected to be opened by 2023. Table: MRT Line-6 at a Glance Track Type First Track Total Length (Uttara-Motijheel route) 21.26 KM  MRT-6 First Phase (Uttara-Agargaon route) 11.73 KM  Transit Type Mass Rapid Transit, Light Rapid Transit Number of Stations from Uttara to Agargaon 9 Passenger Transport Capacity 60 thousand per hour Number of Metro Trains 12 trains with 6 coaches Maximum Passenger Capacity per Train 2308 Read More: Metro rail is pride of Bangladesh: PM Hasina Added in the Transport Plan in 2013 Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) coordinates everything related to the capital’s public transport. A Strategic Transport Plan was formulated in 2013 under this organization, and the idea of ​​setting up metro rail was added to it. Before that, On December 18, 2012, one of the priorities of the Bangladesh government, the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project, i.e., the Metro Rail Project, was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council. Later, according to the revised strategic transport plan made in 2016, the number of metro rail lines to be built in Dhaka was increased to five. The government established the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) in the same year to build and operate the metro rail in Dhaka. Construction Meanwhile, the main work of the Metrorail project in Bangladesh started in August 2017. Funding is provided by JICA, the Japanese government’s development agency. The total length of MRT Line-6 from Uttara to Motijheel in Dhaka is 20.26 km. Among these, Uttara-Agargaon is open commercially. Read More: Opening of metro rail in Dhaka a historic moment: Japanese Embassy On June 26, 2016, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina officially inaugurated the construction of the MRT-6 project. Through this, the construction work of Dhaka Metro started. MRT-6 station and runway construction officially started on August 2, 2017. On the same day, construction of a 12 km runway and station from Uttara to Agargaon started. On February 25, 2019, construction of the station and runway of Agargaon to the Motijheel section started. Passenger Capacity MRT Line-6 ​can carof ry 60 thousand passengers per hour. Each one-way metro train with 6 coaches can carry a maximum of 2,308 passengers. Hence, Metrorail can transport a large number of passengers in a short time. According to a study cited by DMTCL, after the launch of MRT Line-6, during the operation of the metro rail, about Tk 8.38 crore will be saved in terms of daily Travel Time Cost, about Tk 1.8 crore will be saved in terms of Vehicle Operation Cost. The saved working hours can be used for the socioeconomic development of the country. Read More: US Embassy greets Bangladesh for inaugurating the country's first-ever Metro Rail Total Number of Trains Initially, 12 trains have been kept ready for movement, but 10 will carry passengers directly. The remaining two will be ready at the depot for movement at any time. Each train will have 6 coaches. The average speed is 30 km per hour. Metro rail can run up to a speed of 100 kilometers per hour with passengers. Stations and Routes 9 stations of the opened route from Uttara to Agargaon are Uttara North, Uttara Center, Uttara Dakshin, Pallabi, Mirpur 11, Mirpur 10, Kazipara, Sheorapara, and Agargaon.  Schedule Starting from December 29, 2022, to March 26, 2023, the train will run directly from Uttara to Agargaon, and there will be no stoppage. Now the train will wait 10 minutes at Agargaon. All passengers must leave the train by this time, and during this time, the passengers going north will board the train. Then the train will depart for Uttara. It will take 10 minutes to reach Agargaon from Uttara by non-stop journey. Initially, the metro rail will run for four hours from 8 AM to 12 PM. Once the passengers get used to the service, metro rail will start in full phase and stop at all stations after March 26. Read More: Long queues seen at Agargaon station as metro rail opens to public 50 BRTC Buses will Carry Passengers There will be 50 BRTC buses to take metro rail passengers from the Uttara House building area to Uttara North station. Besides, CNG, buses, minibusses, motorcycles, and other transports can also take passengers from metro stations. How to Buy Dhaka Metro Rail Tickets? Passengers can buy one-way tickets or make MRT cards to travel by metro rail. Passengers can also travel on the metro rail with ease using Rapid Pass. The fare is Tk 5 per kilometer, while the minimum fare is Tk 20. The fare from Uttara North to Agargaon will be Tk 60.  Single Journey Ticket and MRT Pass can be purchased from the Ticket Office Machine (TOM) with the help of the seller. Passengers can purchase Single Journey Ticket and MRT Pass Top-up automatically from Ticket Vending Machine (TVM). MRT Pass Top-up can also be done through Mobile and Web Applications such as cards and mobile financial services. Single Journey Tickets can be purchased by paying the fare fixed by the government according to the travel distance. MRT Pass and Rapid Pass will be subject to fare deductions as per the travel distance determined by the government. Read More: Fares of metro rail are reasonable: Quader MRT pass cards can be recharged from Tk 200 up to Tk 10,000 from each ticket counter of the station. Moreover, those who can recharge themselves can recharge by going to the top up option at the ticket vending mactop-upHowever, top up using mobile financial services such as bKash, Upay, and DBBL cards are not active yet. These features will soon be started. How to Get an MRT Pass Card and Rapid Pass? For those who don’t want to collect tickets repeatedly to travel by metro rail regularly, there are MRT pass cards. By using this, you can travel as many times as you want just by recharging the money. However, you will need to submit an application to get an MRT pass card. The application form is now available on the DMTCL (dmtcl.gov.bd) website. Besides, you can also collect from the stations. MRT pass cards can be collected by filling out the form and visiting the ticket counter of any metro rail station. The cost of the card is Tk 200, and the security deposit is Tk 200. On the other hand, A Rapid Pass card is valid for ten years. And it can be recharged from Tk 100 to Tk 10,000. Read More: PM Hasina buys Dhaka's first metro rail ticket to become its first passenger Final Words So far, we have highlighted the details of the Uttara to Agargaon route, the first phase of the MRT-6 project. As Dhaka metro rail has the ability to transport many passengers at once, the government is hoping to reduce the pressure on the roads. A different dimension and speed will be added to the transport system of Dhaka city. Hence, the working hours of city dwellers will be saved, and traffic congestion will be reduced to a great extent.