Dhaka MRT Line 6: a practical visitor guide

Dhaka’s operating metro runs above ground between Uttara North and Motijheel, with 16 open stations. It is useful along the Uttara–Mirpur–Farmgate–Shahbagh–Motijheel corridor, but it does not pass through Old Dhaka, Banani or Gulshan. There is currently no metro-to-metro interchange.

For most visitors, the simplest method is: buy a single-journey ticket for a named destination, tap it at the entry gate, take a train towards Motijheel or Uttara North, then insert the ticket into the exit gate.

Checked 30 October 2026. Timetables, fares and temporary operating arrangements can change.

Route and hours

The open stations, north to south, are:

1. Uttara North
2. Uttara Center
3. Uttara South
4. Pallabi
5. Mirpur 11
6. Mirpur 10
7. Kazipara
8. Shewrapara
9. Agargaon
10. Bijoy Sarani
11. Farmgate
12. Karwan Bazar
13. Shahbagh
14. Dhaka University
15. Bangladesh Secretariat
16. Motijheel

Under the timetable introduced in October 2025, the first train towards Motijheel leaves Uttara North at 6:30am. The first train towards Uttara leaves Motijheel at 7:15am, and the final northbound train leaves Motijheel at 10:10pm. Friday service begins later, at 2:30pm. These times were announced by DMTCL and reported by New Age; a separate timetable report gives the terminal and arrival details.

These are terminal departure times, not opening and closing times for every station. Check the notice at the station on the day of travel, particularly on a Friday or before a time-critical connection. Leave time for queues and finding the correct entrance.

Kamalapur is not open on Line 6. The extension beyond Motijheel remained under construction in October 2026, when the project director said passenger service was being targeted for the end of June or beginning of July 2027. That is a target, not a guaranteed opening date. Until service begins, transfer by road between Motijheel and Kamalapur Railway Station; Prothom Alo’s construction report describes the remaining work and the present road connection.

Tickets: the practical choice for a visitor

Single-journey ticket

Buy this at a station counter or ticket-vending machine by selecting or naming the destination. The temporary smart ticket is valid for that journey and is collected by the exit gate.

The published fare structure is distance-based at Tk5 per kilometre, with a Tk20 minimum and Tk100 for Uttara North to Motijheel. These figures come from a DTCA notification summarized by The Business Standard.

Confirm the current station-pair fare at the counter or machine. A staffed counter is the least ambiguous choice if a vending machine’s interface or payment options are unfamiliar. Carry Bangladeshi taka rather than depending on an overseas bank card.

Rapid Pass and MRT Pass

Rapid Pass gives a 10% discount on metro journeys, according to the DTCA-backed Rapid Pass service. It can also be recharged online, but an online payment must still be loaded onto the card by touching it to an AVM at a station; online top-ups range from Tk100 to Tk5,000, as the launch instructions explain.

It is not a straightforward visitor product. The Rapid Pass site says applicants must be Bangladeshi citizens with a National ID. New MRT Pass issuance ended when the authorities shifted sales towards Rapid Pass, although existing MRT cards remain valid, according to The Financial Express.

Unless you already have a compatible card, use single-journey tickets.

How to take a ride

1. Find the station entrance. Entrances can be on different sides of a broad, divided road. Check the station name and signs instead of assuming the nearest staircase is the best one.
2. Go to the concourse. This level contains ticket counters, machines and fare gates.
3. Buy for your destination. At a counter, name the station you want—for example, Shahbagh or Dhaka University.
4. Tap at entry. Hold the ticket flat on the reader until the gate opens. Do not insert a single-journey ticket here.
5. Choose the direction. “Towards Motijheel” is southbound; “towards Uttara North” is northbound. Check the platform sign.
6. Board after passengers leave. Displays and announcements identify the next station.
7. Use the ticket at exit. Insert a single-journey ticket into the gate. Tap a Rapid Pass or MRT Pass instead. If you travelled beyond the destination encoded on a single ticket, staff can collect the additional fare before you exit.

The entry and exit process, including insertion of the temporary ticket at the destination, is set out in these passenger instructions. Stations have stairs, escalators and lifts, but an individual lift or escalator may be unavailable.

Useful stations for visitors

These are orientation points, not door-to-door promises. Check the appropriate exit and final walking route before leaving the paid area.

• Agargaon: for the administrative district and the Liberation War Museum area.
• Farmgate: a useful road-transport interchange for Farmgate and Tejgaon.
• Karwan Bazar: for Karwan Bazar and the Panthapath side of central Dhaka.
• Shahbagh: generally the most useful stop for the Bangladesh National Museum and the Shahbagh end of the university and hospital district.
• Dhaka University: for the university campus, Suhrawardy Udyan and the Central Shaheed Minar area.
• Bangladesh Secretariat: for the Secretariat, National Press Club and nearby government district.
• Motijheel: for the business district and road connections towards Kamalapur or farther south.

For Old Dhaka, the metro covers only part of the trip. Dhaka University or Bangladesh Secretariat can be practical places to change to a rickshaw, CNG auto-rickshaw or car, depending on the final destination. Plan for the named place—such as Lalbagh, Chawkbazar or Sadarghat—rather than treating Old Dhaka as a single stop.

Transfers to road transport

There is no transfer within the rail system: every open station is on Line 6. To continue beyond it, leave through the fare gate and pay separately for the next vehicle.

• Local bus: often inexpensive, but routes and stopping patterns can be difficult for a first-time visitor to interpret.
• Rickshaw: practical for some short local connections. Agree on the fare before starting when no app price applies.
• CNG auto-rickshaw: useful for streets beyond the metro corridor; use the meter where possible or agree on a fare first.
• App car or motorcycle: easier when you can enter a precise destination. Place the pickup pin on the correct side of the station’s divided road.

Rapid Pass works on the metro and selected bus services, but it does not create a universal included transfer. The Rapid Pass operator describes current use as the metro plus certain selected bus routes, with wider expansion planned.

Three mistakes to avoid

• Do not plan to ride the metro to Kamalapur yet. Motijheel remains the operating terminus.
• Do not arrive at an intermediate station based only on the terminal’s final-departure time. Confirm the last train for your direction locally.
• Do not discard a single-journey ticket after boarding. You need it to leave through the exit gate.