If you have been following the news, you might have seen the news circulating on social media claiming that the Metro Rail will run on Friday. Some mainstream media outlets even picked up on these rumours, fueling the frenzy.

When we investigated, it turned out to be mere rumours, with no confirmation from reliable sources behind those claims. Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) Managing Director MAN Siddique denied the rumours, saying that no such plan was on the agenda.

"We have no plans to offer metro rail services on Friday. We have not had any discussion on this yet," he said. He explained that a dedicated holiday is needed to ensure proper progress of the ongoing construction of the Mass Rapid Transit-6 extension from Motijheel to Kamalapur.

"Once completed, several trial runs will be carried out across the 1.16 km stretch. Hence, a day off is mandatory to carry out these works," he said. Metrorail runs six days a week with every Friday weekend.

MAN Siddique also said that even if Friday's operation is considered, it will take time to implement.

Regarding the gap (headway) between trains, MAN Siddique said the increasing passenger traffic prompted a review.

Currently, the metro operates with a 12-minute headway during off-peak hours and an 8-minute headway during peak hours.

The company is reportedly considering reducing the peak hour headway from 8 minutes to 5 minutes.

MAN Siddique said, "We will discuss the matter after May 19 and assess the feasibility of increasing the frequency of trains during peak hours.