Obviously, it is a landmark, a source of pride, a sense of accomplishment, and a cause for celebration for the residents and visitors of "Dhaka" and the nation as a whole. The honorable prime minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, inaugurated the metro rail service on the 28th of December, 2022, in a historic and revolutionary move to improve the speed and accessibility of intra-city transportation. We cannot help but commend, admire, and value this public service for us and others who endure traffic congestion on weekdays for extended durations.
It is unquestionably a matter of comfort and convenience for them to reach their location within 10 to 15 minutes, when it took them hours upon hours previously. As a result, as a citizen of Bangladesh, I owe a debt of gratitude to the government, relevant authorities, and labor force who exerted a great deal of effort to make this service useful and execute it at this juncture in the year 2023. The next new year may be an excellent time for Dhaka's residents and out-of-town tourists to experience the city with this freshly inaugurated train service.
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is a fascinating city for all Bangladeshis. It has the majority of municipal services, industries, the highest government and non-government offices, the top medical facilities, renowned educational institutions, the majority of employment examinations, and an airport for outgoing travelers. As a result, individuals from all walks of life visit and commute to Dhaka seeking employment and services. Referring to the World Population Review 2022, the Dhaka Tribune (4 December 2022) reported that Dhaka, with an area of 300 square kilometers and a population density of 23,234 people per square kilometer, is the fourth most populous city in the world, and that the current population of the metropolitan area is 22,478,116. It is noted for traffic congestion, and private vehicles are more popular than public transportation options.
Therefore, eliminating traffic congestion and lowering the number of cars has been a challenge for city administrators. In such a scenario, metro rail is unquestionably a ray of hope for city people to move more quickly and easily provided they can utilize other connected transport options that are accessible, comfortable, and free of traffic congestion to reach the metro rail station. Therefore, our next expectation of city planners and officials is that they will reorganize Dhaka's transportation plan to maximize the benefits of Metro train services and improve the city's livability.
After the launching of our last major national construction, "The Padma Multi-Purpose Bridge," a number of obnoxious instances occurred that brought dishonor to the whole nation. Therefore, at this joyous period of unveiling a new infrastructure, we must behave rationally to make it popular with our people and people everywhere.
As we have entered a new metro railway service, I also urge our fellow residents to adopt and maintain precautionary measures while utilizing this comfort service, so that we do not read about any unanticipated injuries, accidents, or losses of life, as we have with our previous railway services. Even though these precautionary tactics should be printed and posted on every platform and in every metro train vehicle, I will highlight a few of them here:
• Please do not attempt to take selfies near a moving metro train while it is in motion.
• Instead of racing up platforms, steps, or escalators with bars while standing on both sides, stand on one side to facilitate the passage of persons in need. When use the escalator, stand to the left and hold the side rails.
• Allow sufficient time to descend and board the train.
• When traveling with small children, hold their hands on platforms, escalators, and when boarding and alighting from trains.
• Hold the handrail and stay away from the train doors when riding the train.
• To avoid unanticipated injuries and mishaps, observe the train and the platform edge gap.
• Consider enabling youngsters, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities and diseases to go further into the railway compartment, and if feasible, offer them your seat.
• Do not trash or spit haphazardly on the metro rail or platform, since this might degrade the aesthetics and cleanliness of the train and platform. Many people in our nation have a harmful habit of spitting, which renders public areas unpleasant and nasty.
• As in other vehicles, you should not needlessly yell or dispute with other passengers on the train.
This is a public service provided by the government of Bangladesh in order to enable communication and rapid mobility within the city. Consequently, we, the citizens, must recognize that we are all owners and beneficiaries of the metro rail and diligent stewards of this state-owned asset. We must preserve this service in pristine condition and utilize it prudently so that its structure, attractiveness, functionality, and usefulness are identical to the day it was introduced.
Best wishes for the New Year to Bangladesh, and have fun riding the Metro Rail!
END/TDM/EHM
