মেট্রোরেল এখন আর স্বপ্ন নয়, বাস্তবতা। মেট্রোরেল এমআরটি-৬-এর মধ্য দিয়ে উত্তরা ও মিরপুরবাসী আধুনিক রেল যোগাযোগের সুবিধা ভোগ করছে। সরকারের পরিকল্পনা ২০৩০ সালের মধ্যে পুরো ঢাকা শহরকে মেট্রোরেলের আওতায় নিয়ে আসা। এ পরিকল্পনার অংশ হিসাবে প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনার নির্মাণকাজ উদ্্বোধনের মধ্য দিয়ে পাতাল রেলের যুগে প্রবেশ করছে বাংলাদেশ; এটি হবে দেশের দ্বিতীয় মেট্রোরেল এমআরটি-১। দ্বিতীয় মেট্রোরেলের নির্মাণকাজ ২০২৬ সালের মধ্যে শেষ করার পরিকল্পনা রয়েছে সরকারের। এটি চালু হলে ১০০ সেকেন্ড পরপর ট্রেন চলাচল করবে।
এই রেল নির্মাণকাজের বাস্তবায়ন করছে ঢাকা ম্যাস ট্রানজিট কোম্পানি লিমিটেড (ডিএমটিসিএল)।
ডিএমটিসিএল-এর ব্যবস্থাপনা পরিচালক এমএএন ছিদ্দিক জানিয়েছেন, এই পাতাল রেলের ফলে বিমানবন্দর রুটে যাতায়াতকারীদের প্রায় ৮৫ শতাংশ সময় বাঁচানোর পাশাপাশি বাস ও অন্যান্য যানবাহনের চাপও কমানো সম্ভব হবে।
তিনি জানান, দ্বিতীয় মেট্রোরেল হবে উড়াল ও পাতালের সমন্বয়ে। দুটি রুটে ৩১ দশমিক ২৪ কিলোমিটার দীর্ঘ এমআরটি লাইন-১ নির্মাণ করা হবে। আর এতে খরচ হবে ৫২ হাজার ৫৬১ কোটি টাকা। এর মধ্যে ৪০ হাজার কোটি টাকা দিচ্ছে জাপান ইন্টারন্যাশনাল কো-অপারেশন এজেন্সি (জাইকা)। বাকি ১২ হাজার ৫৬১ কোটি টাকা খরচ করবে বাংলাদেশ সরকার। ২০২৬ সালে প্রকল্পের কাজ শেষ করার লক্ষ্যমাত্রা নির্ধারণ করা হয়েছে।
২০১৮ সালে বাংলাদেশ প্রকৌশল বিশ^বিদ্যালয়ের এক সমীক্ষায় দেখা যায়, এমআরটি লাইন-৬ পুরোপুরি চালু হলে মেট্রোরেল পরিচালনাকালে দৈনিক ভ্রমণ খরচ বাবদ প্রায় ৮ কোটি ৩৮ লাখ এবং যানবাহন পরিচালনা খরচ বাবদ প্রায় ১ কোটি ১৮ লাখ টাকা সাশ্রয় হবে। অর্থনীতিবিদ কাজী খলীকুজ্জমান আহমদ বলেন, এ সাশ্রয়কৃত অর্থ দেশের অর্থনৈতিক উন্নয়নে ইতিবাচক ভূমিকা রাখবে, জিডিপি বাড়বে।
এদিকে মেট্রোরেলের মতো পাতাল রেলপথ নির্মাণে জনগণের ভোগান্তি হবে না বলে জানিয়েছেন ডিএমটিসিএল-এর ব্যবস্থাপনা পরিচালক। তিনি বলেন, এমআরটি লাইন-১ চালু হলে এই রুটে প্রতিদিন ৮ লাখ যাত্রী চলাচল করতে পারবেন। বিমানবন্দর থেকে কমলাপুর যেতে সময় লাগবে ২৪ দশমিক ৩০ মিনিট। আর নতুন বাজার থেকে পূর্বাচল যেতে সময় লাগবে ২০ দশমিক ৩৫ মিনিট। এমআরটি লাইন-১-এর প্রতিটি পাতাল স্টেশন হবে তিন তলাবিশিষ্ট। টিকিট কাউন্টার ও অন্যান্য সুবিধা থাকবে প্রথম বেজমেন্টে। প্ল্যাটফরম থাকবে দ্বিতীয় বেজমেন্টে। আর উড়াল স্টেশনের টিকিট কাউন্টার এবং প্ল্যাটফরম থাকবে তৃতীয় তলায়। যাত্রীদের চলাচলের জন্য উড়াল ও পাতালÑদুই পথের স্টেশনেই থাকবে লিফট, সিঁড়ি ও এস্কেলেটর সুবিধা। স্টেশনগুলোয় পর্যাপ্ত বাতাস ও অক্সিজেনের প্রবাহ ঠিক রাখতে থাকবে অতিরিক্ত ভেন্টিলেশন ব্যবস্থা।
ডিএমটিসিএল-এর ব্যবস্থাপনা পরিচালক এমএএন সিদ্দিক বলেন, এমআরটি লাইন-৬-এ সাড়ে ৩ মিনিট পরপর ট্রেন চলতে পারে। এটিকে আমরা আরও কমিয়ে আনতে পারব। অন্যদিকে এমআরটি লাইন-১-এ ১০০ সেকেন্ড দিয়ে শুরু করব। এটাকে হেডওয়ে বলে। ১০০ সেকেন্ডের মধ্যে একটার পর একটা ট্রেন আসবে, এটি আর কমানোর সুযোগ নেই। আমরা ৬টি কোচ দিয়ে এমআরটি লাইন-৬ শুরু করেছি এবং আরও দুটি কোচ সংযোজনের সুযোগ রেখেছি। অর্থাৎ এটি ৮টিতে উন্নীত করা যাবে। এমআরটি লাইন-১ শুরুই হবে ৮টি কোচ দিয়ে। এখানে কোচ বৃদ্ধি করার বিষয়টি আর প্রয়োজন হচ্ছে না। আন্তর্জাতিকভাবে ৮টি কোচ দিয়ে শুরু করে আমরাও ৮টি কোচ দিয়ে শুরু করব।
প্রকল্পসংশ্লিষ্টরা জানিয়েছেন, ঢাকার হযরত শাহজালাল আন্তর্জাতিক বিমানবন্দর থেকে কমলাপুর পর্যন্ত ১৯ দশমিক ৮৭ কিলোমিটার অংশ ভূগর্ভস্থ হবে এবং নতুনবাজার থেকে পূর্বাচল পর্যন্ত ১১ দশমিক ৩৬ কিলোমিটার হবে উড়াল। কমলাপুর থেকে বিমানবন্দর যেতে সময় লাগবে ২৪ মিনিট। বিমানবন্দর রুটে ১২টি এবং পূর্বাচল রুটে ৯টি স্টেশন থাকবে। পূর্বাচল রুটের নর্দা ও নতুনবাজার স্টেশন থাকবে ভূগর্ভে এবং এই দুটি স্টেশন যাত্রীদের রুট পরিবর্তনের জন্য একটি ইন্টারচেঞ্জ হিসাবে ব্যবহার করা হবে।
এদিকে ২০১৮ সালে পরিচালিত বাংলাদেশ প্রকৌশল বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের (বুয়েট) ওই সমীক্ষায় দেখা যায়, ঢাকা শহরের যানজটের জন্য বার্ষিক ৪.৪ বিলিয়ন ডলার খরচ হয়, যা জাতীয় বাজেটের ১০ শতাংশের বেশি। ২০২০ সালের বিশ্বব্যাংকের প্রতিবেদনেও আর্থিক ক্ষতির তথ্যটি উঠে এসেছে। তাদের তথ্যানুযায়ী ঢাকা মহানগরীতে যানজট এবং এর প্রভাবে বার্ষিক প্রায় ৩ দশমিক ৮ বিলিয়ন মার্কিন ডলার ক্ষতি হচ্ছে।
নষ্ট কর্মঘণ্টার মূল্য বিবেচনায় নিলে ক্ষতির পরিমাণ ব্যাপক আকার ধারণ করে, যা জাতীয় অর্থনীতিতে নেতিবাচক প্রভাব সৃষ্টি করে। ঢাকার যানজট ৬০ শতাংশ কমাতে পারলে বাংলাদেশ ২.৬ বিলিয়ন ডলার সাশ্রয় করতে পারে।
অথচ এই পাতাল রেলের ফলে বিমানবন্দর থেকে কমলাপুরে যেতে সময় লাগবে মাত্র ২৫ মিনিট। ফলে এই রুটে প্রায় ৮৫ শতাংশ সময় বাঁচানো যাবে। আর পাতাল রেলের প্রভাবে কমে যাবে বাস ও অন্যান্য যানবাহনের চাপও।
বিমানবন্দরে প্রতিদিন ১৫০টি ফ্লাইটে ২২ হাজার যাত্রী ওঠানামা করেন। অনেক সময় কাক্সিক্ষত ফ্লাইট ধরতে প্রবাসীরা একদিন আগেই উপস্থিত থাকেন। অনেকেই জ্যামের কথা ভেবে আগেই রওয়ানা হন। তবে পাতাল রেল চালু হলে বিমানবন্দরের ফ্লাইটের জন্য নির্দিষ্ট সময়েই উপস্থিত হতে পারবেন যাত্রীরা। আন্তর্জাতিক রুটে চলাচলকারী যাত্রীদের ভোগান্তি কমবে।
পিআইবি ফিচার
Today 18th October marks a special day, the birth anniversary of Sheikh Russelll. Sheikh Russelwas the youngest child of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib.
He was born in the midnight and when he was born, Bangabandhu was in Chittagong for partisan work. Listening to the news he rushed back home and took him on the lap and named him Russell after the Nobel laureate and British philosopher, Bertrand Russelll, who was the favorite writer of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.Sheikh Rehanaapa, wrote in her descriptions that,Russell was like a doll, and he had a beautiful smile. Russell two eyes were full of infinite surprise. Sheikh Russell had a natural simplicity and innate quality to attract others. Although Bangabandhu shared a public life and his home used to be his office and place of political gathering and often Russell would sit in the middle of the discussions and just be observant.
Russell was only 11, On August 15, 1975, when he was brutally assassinated along with most of his family members. He was just a student of class four. No words can describe the gross violation of the human rights that we experienced that day. Can you imagine, what was he going through? His family members were killed one by one before his eyes. Our little Russell felt the pain that no one in a civilized world can endure.
Right after the dark night in the history of Bangladesh, the martial law regime enacted the Indemnity Ordinance to allow immunity from facing judicial trials. For around 20 years, the humanity fought and during Awami League Tenure, in 1996, the Indemnity Act was put to a full stop, setting the stage for a transparent judicial process. This journey was long, but it was necessary to ensure that the demands of the law were met and justice to be served.This remarkable judgement stands as a proof to our governments commitment to uphold human rights, international conventions and rule of law. And after over 50 years of that crime, here we are, trying to keep our little Russell spirit alive.
Our government has always been deeply committed to the cause of Child and Youth Rights in our nation. We addressed challenges ranging from access to quality education, healthcare, and nutrition to protection from exploitation, child labour, and early marriage and even in the growing digital age we are addressing cyberbullying and online harassment to provide our children a better life be in physical or in digital world through series of initiatives. We published awareness guidebook using cartoon and storytelling format for children, introduced a national campaign and connected over a million children across Bangladesh.Along with local context, we have also taken global leadership in raising awareness on cyber security for children. Last year, we partnered with UNDP Bangladeshin awareness of the cyber security awareness for children. We fund raised together and introduced a global award named Bangabandhu International Cyber Security Awareness Award, through which we will be celebrating students, parents, institutions who are working to ensure a safe cyber space for our children.
Under the visionary leadership of Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and also Honorable Adviser to the Honorable Prime Minister SajeebWazed, skill development of our children has also been prioritized. Since 2015 under Sheikh Russell Digital Lab project, we have established 13,000 labs school level education institutions located across country with a target to establish 35,000 by 2030. We have also established 300 Sheikh Russell Schools of Future located in every division of the country equipped with technological instruments for an interactive education system. These platforms are paving the way for our children becoming skilled on various technological subjects like basic productivity elements, programing, robotics etc.
We have partnered with UNICEF Bangladesh and launched Digital portal named Kishor Batayon, an education platform, providing school education based on gamifications. Through Kishor batayon, along with regular education, we are also focusing on early knowledge and awareness building of our children on health and safety, life skills, problem solving skills and even we are trying to provide them entertainments in terms of providing them digital comics.
Currently under ICT Division, we are establishing Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology (SHIFT), that will change the way of school level education in the country. Through SHIFT, we will introduce learning-based education system and nurturing a talent on their natural interest, so then every student can become the master of their own interests, that will let the work become enjoyment for them.
Children should be a free spirit, like our little Sheikh Russell. We must strive to create a nation where the rights of our children and youth are upheld, the challenges they face are addressed, and their active participation in nation-building is encouraged.
Building on the four pillars, Smart Bangladesh vision 2041 envisions for a country with infinite opportunitiesled by Digitally competent, innovative and collaborative, progressive, ethical, secular and compassionate youths of the country. Youths will play a key role in creating public-private services through e-participation and will work together on GenAI-centric frontier technology platforms and will also make necessary policy transformations towards building a knowledge-based society. Today children will become tomorrow youth and will lead Bangladesh towards an economic and technological excellence. We will keep on working for an enabling environment for our children.Brutal Assassination of Child Sheikh Russel:The Gross Human Rights Violation in The Human History.
[Author: Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Minister of State, Department of Information and Communication Technology]
Holiday Inn, a distinguished international hotel chain, has been catering to guests and clients with a wide range of services and amenities in the hospitality sector. In Dhaka, they offer top-notch premium services. With a presence in 1233 locations worldwide, the name has gained popularity and trust among patrons. They take pride in their exceptional value services, family-oriented accommodations, authentic hospitality, personalized attention to guests, and a delightful selection of fresh food and beverages.
Recently Holiday Inn Dhaka City Centre extended the reach of their premium services further with a new authentic Mediterranean fine dining restaurant, The Ilish. Taking reservations from May 19th, 2023, The Ilish presents an array of both novel and familiar delicacies from various Mediterranean countries, allowing diners to embark on a culinary voyage and savor the genuine flavors that encapsulate the essence of the region.
We reached out to one of the minds behind The Ilish, Chef Banefus Gomes to know about his exciting journey and the wonders that await the patrons at The Ilish.
Chef Banefus began his career in India during 1996 and later moved to Lebanon in 1997, where he worked for 5 years, gaining expertise in local dishes and Mediterranean cuisine. In 2002, he relocated to Dubai, working in hotels with an international selection. Afterwards, he moved to Doha, Qatar, where he played a significant role in opening a fine dining restaurant with a diverse menu. In 2014, Chef Banefus returned to Bangladesh, working at various hotels, including Hotel Intercontinental and Dhaka Regency. Currently, he is the executive chef at Holiday Inn Dhaka City Center, where he actively manages The Ilish, a Mediterranean fine dining restaurant, applying all his knowledge and experience in Mediterranean cuisine.
According to chef Banefus, a lot of thought went into the name The Ilish. Aside from the emphasis on it being our national fish, Hilsa is a sea fish that is caught in the estuaries so it represents the mingling of Mediterranean and Bangladeshi tastes. Moreover, Bangladesh gets a lot of tourists and our national fish and the king of fishes, Ilish is a good way to introduce the world to the Bangladeshi culinary world, that is the same reason why the 20th Century of Smoked Ilish on Toast is the first item on the menu. plus, what can be a better mascot for a menu which is primarily seafood based. That is why he believes that The Ilish is the perfect representation of a Mediterranean restaurant in the Bangladeshi culinary world.
The Ilish offers an authentic Mediterranean dining experience by incorporating dishes from four countries: Italy, Turkey, Lebanon, and Morocco. The chef thoughtfully designed the menu to cater to local preferences while staying true to the essence of the Mediterranean diet. “With common roots between Bengali and Mediterranean culinary culture, our diverse selection of fish and grilled meat dishes resonates well with the local palate. The use of fresh vegetables, herbs, and exotic spices further enhances the dining experience. Additionally, our focus on catering to the increasing number of Moroccan tourists visiting Bangladesh allows us to provide a sense of familiarity and comfort to our international guests at Holiday Inn Dhaka City Centre.”, He says. At The Ilish, patrons can savor a new twist on familiar flavors, embracing the healthiest food habits the Mediterranean region has to offer.
As a trained professional in the local culinary world chef Banefus has been observing the patrons preferences for a long time. He believes that now people are much more aware of food and their choices keep broadening every day. They are always in search of new tastes and new culinary experiences. Therefore, a Mediterranean themed fine dining experience will be well received among culinary connoisseurs.
Chef Banefus addresses concerns among local patrons regarding prices and affordability. Especially since the term Fine Dining always makes us think of ultra-expensive restaurants. He took that into consideration and laid out the prices to be reasonable and economic for everyone to enjoy.
When asked about his feelings on the idea of launchig a Mediterranean restaurant, he expressed his excitement saying that It felt like he found his calling. Since a lot of his experience hails from his time in Lebanon and the work he did with Mediterranean cuisine, he has a deep appreciation for the diet and always desired to present his expertise in Bangladesh. With Ilish he finally has that opportunity and hopes he can do right by the patrons. The Ilish aspires to cater to every little detail and see to the patrons every need and Chef Banefus aims to reach new heights in Bangladesh culinary world.
Chef Banefus invites the guests to indulge themselves in the peaceful aesthetic and beautiful décor of the restaurant, where they will be greeted with complimentary refreshments and unique amuse-bouche upon entry. Afterwards they can enjoy any selection of delectable dishes and mouthwatering desserts. Turkish and Italian dishes are already quite popular around here. So the Beef Koobideh & Adana or the Linguine can become a fan favorite. Moreover, the chef states that Lebanese food is quite healthy. Olive is a prime ingredient in their recipes. Most of the dishes are cooked with olive oil and there is a tradition of finishing every meal with a single olive because it helps with digestion. So, he believes Moroccan dishes can be a unique experience too. Which means the patrons can have a wonderful time here with new flavors and old. Top that off with a gorgeous view of the city and chef Banefus guarantees, the guests can have a memorable time.
During the Global MBB Forum 2022, David Wang, Huawei Executive Director of the Board and Chairman of ICT Infrastructure Managing Board delivered a keynote speech titled Stride to 5.5G: The foundation of the future. David Wang noted how, through concerted efforts, the industry has made significant progress and is ready to make the leap to 5.5G. To hit this milestone, Wang called upon all industry players to prepare on all fronts, so that we can move faster towards the 5.5G era and eventually build a better, intelligent world together.
With the intelligent world fast approaching, the rapid changes we are set to experience will all be accompanied by increasing requirements for digital infrastructure. The next milestone we must hit on the path to the intelligent world is 5.5G. 5.5G will deliver 10 Gbit/s experiences, support hundreds of billions of connections, and help us achieve native intelligence.
Wang emphasized, after two years of concerted efforts across the industry, 5.5G has seen huge progress and three things have become clear.
First, the standardization of 5.5G has been initiated and is on right on track, making it more than just a vision.
Second, the industry has made breakthroughs in key technologies for 5.5G, and ultra-large bandwidth and ELAA can now deliver 10 Gbit/s experience.
Third, the industry has a clear vision for the IoT landscape. Three types of 5.5G-enabled IoT technologies supported by 5.5G, namely NB-IoT, RedCap, and passive IoT, are developing rapidly and will support numerous IoT connections.
"The communications industry is constantly evolving. 5.5G has been kicked into high gear. Looking ahead, our task is to tackle these five new areas – standards, spectrum, products, ecosystems, and applications. Together, let stride to 5.5G and build a better, intelligent world," stressed Wang.
First, we need to set standards and promote key technological research.
Standards steer the mobile communications industry and will guide the 5.5G industry forward along a clearly defined path. We must work to ensure that Release 18 is frozen by Q1 2024, as planned, and will help 5.5G networks deliver 10 times better performance. Regarding Release 19 and beyond, we should come together to explore what capabilities 5.5G will require in order to support new services and scenarios as we continue to refine 5.5G standards. This will both maximize the potential of 5.5G and extend its lifecycle.
Second, we need to prepare more spectrum for ultra-large bandwidth.
We should fully utilize sub-100 GHz resources to build ultra-large bandwidth. mmWave is a key frequency band for 5.5G. Operators will need to acquire over 800 MHz of spectrum from this band if they are to realize 10 Gbit/s experiences. 6 GHz is also a potential ultra-wide band for 5.5G. When 6 GHz is promoted as an IMT band at WRC-23, it is likely that countries will need to auction off the 6 GHz spectrum. We can also refarm the sub 6 GHz spectrum to achieve ultra-large bandwidth for 5.5G.
Third, we need to prepare for 5.5G with mature networks, devices, and chips.
Both our networks and devices need to be upgraded to deliver 10 Gbit/s experiences. More specifically, our products will rely on ELAA technologies that can support over 1,000 antenna arrays suitable for mid- and high-frequency bands, and massive MIMO will be required to support 128T capacity. Additionally, more innovation will be needed in regards to 5.5G chips and devices to make them more intelligent, capable of supporting 3T8R, or even more channels, and able to aggregate more than four carriers.
Fourth, we need to work together to build a thriving 5.5G ecosystem.
This thriving ecosystem will better address digital requirements in all scenarios. Take the 5.5G-enabled IoT ecosystem as an example. Operators and equipment vendors will need to improve plans for 5.5G networks in order to better connect both people and things, while device vendors must adapt costs and modular capabilities to application scenarios. In addition, industry and app developers will need to act immediately to start incubating new apps.
Fifth, we should continue our work on groundbreaking applications.
As our standards, spectrum, products, and ecosystem mature, 5.5G will become a reality, allowing even more applications to emerge. Multi-sensory interactions will transform the way we communicate. Intelligently connected vehicles are set to become a third mobile space and see wide adoption, while intelligent connections across industries will lead to the dissolution of information silos, driving industrial upgrade. A new generation of innovative applications is now emerging, and our vision for the intelligent world is becoming clearer. That why all industry players need to work together towards the exploration and creation of these applications.
The Global Mobile Broadband Forum 2022 is hosted by Huawei, together with its industry partners GSMA and GTI. This annual forum gathers mobile network carriers, vertical industry leaders, and ecosystem partners from around the world to discuss how to make 5G a commercial success and other hot topics like green development, intelligence, and 5G evolution. For more information, please visit: https://www.huawei.com/en/events/mbbf2022