Fallen sky lanterns of New Year celebration halt metro rail operation for 2 hrs

The newly launched metro rail services in Dhaka remained suspended for two hours on Sunday morning as a number of sky lanterns used for New Year celebrations fell on the electric rail lines.

The metro rail authorities suspended the operation on safety ground from 8am, Managing Director (MD) of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) MAN Siddique said.

After cleaning the lanterns from the electric lines, the operation of metro rail resumed around 10 am, he added.

Dhaka dwellers used firecrackers and flew sky lanterns (fanush) on 31st night despite Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) restrictions, causing disruption in metro rail service.

The country’s commuting system entered a new era on December 28 last year as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the operation of the first phase of metro rail service -- Uttara to Agargaon in the capital.

As the government is starting the operation on a limited scale, it will take 20 minutes to travel the 11.73-Km distance from Uttara to Agargaon, but soon it will come down to 16-17 minutes.

Bangladesh is the third country in South Asian region to have metro rail after India and Pakistan. India introduced its first 3.4km underground metro rail in Kolkata in 1984 while Pakistan launched its mostly-elevated metro line in Lahore in October, 2020.