The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has announced plans for an independent safety audit of the capital’s metro rail system, following last week’s fatal incident in which a bearing pad fell from a metro pillar in Farmgate, killing a pedestrian.
At a press briefing on Monday at the metro rail headquarters in Uttara’s Diabari, Faruk Ahmed, Managing Director of DMTCL, admitted that no comprehensive safety audit was carried out before the metro’s launch — a gap that authorities now intend to address urgently.
“A safety audit was not conducted before operations began. We now plan to carry one out as soon as possible through a reputed European third-party firm,” Faruk said.
“Two French companies have already shown interest, and we will initiate the tender process shortly.”
The move comes a week after a bearing pad detached from a metro pillar in Farmgate on 26 October, killing a passerby — the second such incident after a similar one a year earlier. Metro operations between Shahbagh and Agargaon remained suspended for more than 24 hours following the accident.
‘The bearing isn’t at fault’
Addressing the cause of the failure, the DMTCL chief stressed that the bearing pad itself was not to blame.
“The bearing pad did not simply fall off on its own. It’s not something that happens suddenly,” he said. “The fault lies either in the design, improper installation, or in the failure of those responsible for inspecting and approving the work. The bearing itself is not defective — the issue is with those who installed or certified it.”
He explained that DMTCL had hired foreign consultants at significant cost to supervise and verify the contractors’ work.
“Consultants were supposed to inspect and approve the work before handing it over to us. Some parts of the project were rushed — I can’t say why — but the section where the accident occurred still has multiple defects, which is why we have not yet accepted it,” Faruk said.
Defect liability period extended
Faruk also noted that the defect liability period for the section involved expired in June this year, but DMTCL did not accept it due to outstanding faults.
“We have asked the contractor to repair all identified issues, and the defect liability period has been extended by another two years,” he said.
Following the Farmgate incident, DMTCL conducted a full inspection of all metro pillars, using drone footage and on-site assessments. Defective areas were identified and reported to the consulting firms for immediate corrective measures.
“Our decision is clear — wherever defects are found, the bearing pads will be replaced,” the managing director stated.
‘Metro launched in haste’
Faruk Ahmed also acknowledged that the metro rail project had been rushed into operation without adequate trial runs.
“The project should have undergone at least six to nine months of trial operation before opening to the public. Completing or commissioning a metro within three to five years is unrealistic. After all contractors are engaged, construction alone takes six to seven years, while project design and feasibility studies take another three,” he said.
The DMTCL chief’s remarks come amid mounting questions about the safety and oversight of Bangladesh’s first metro system, which began operations in late 2022. The upcoming audit, to be conducted by a European firm, is expected to provide a comprehensive assessment of the metro’s infrastructure integrity and operational safety.