The government of Bangladesh is going to inaugurate the country's first urban rail network, stretching from Agargaon to Uttara, on December 28.
Nine stations punctuate the 11.58-km route, each consisting of two gates on either side. Thousands of passengers are expected to use the metro rail every day. The station will have ATM booths, electrical equipment and shops.
The government had planned to create a special police unit for the metro rail, but that has been shelved for the time being. Instead, police personnel from local stations and the reserve force will be tasked with maintaining law and order.
Eight police personnel will be on duty at each of the nine stations, along with a supervising officer. But the route's terminal stations, Agargaon and Diabari, are set to have a bigger police presence, according to bdnews24.com.
The rail line passes through the Uttara, Mirpur and Tejgaon zones of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. And, officials said law enforcers from local units as well as the reserves will be tasked with guarding the stations.
Ahead of the much-awaited service's opening, police personnel were busy rehearsing their duties and tasks at the stations. As many as 20 policemen were deployed to the Uttara North and Agargaon stations, while the rest had eight law enforcers.
“Each station has two entrances and two exits. Eight police personnel will man these areas and one officer will supervise them at the spot,” said Parvez Islam, chief of Pallabi Police Station.
The security measures will extend beyond the confines of the stations to the surrounding areas, with an emphasis on keeping sidewalks clean and free from encroaching vendors, said Parvez.
After the inauguration, the manpower for security at the stations may be increased, if necessary, according to Jashim Uddin Mollah, a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
"Police will provide the kind of security that the metro rail authorities want.”
Asked whether the plan to form a 357-strong MRT police unit to oversee security at the stations had been scrapped, Additional Deputy Inspector General Faruq Hossain, said, "The file on the formation of the MRT unit is with the cabinet secretary. But there isn't much time left before the inauguration, so it won't be possible for the MRT unit to police the stations.”
"Ticket sales and other technical issues will be looked after by the metro rail authorities. Police will take care of security. Each station will have a control room. There will also be an executive magistrate working on behalf of the metro rail authorities,” said MAN Siddique, managing director of DMTCL.
However, some experts have suggested handing over the task of ensuring security at metro rail stations to a private company.
“There are many technical issues. If security is ensured by a private company, there will be less concern about accountability and sustainability,” said Shamsul Haque, a civil engineering professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.