A deadly structural failure on Dhaka’s metro rail track at Farmgate around 12:15 pm on Sunday brought the capital’s traffic to a standstill, as operations were suspended immediately after a bearing pad collapsed and fell onto the road below.
The falling pad — a critical rubber component that supports the elevated track — struck pedestrians on the street, killing one person and injuring at least two others, police and hospital sources confirmed.
The incident prompted the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) to suspend metro services across the entire Uttara–Motijheel route, disrupting one of the city’s most vital transport arteries.
Thousands of commuters, many caught mid-journey, scrambled to find alternative transport as metro stations were abruptly closed. Roads across Mirpur, Rokeya Sarani, Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, and Shahbagh soon became choked with vehicles, reviving the city’s familiar nightmare of gridlock.
Commuters reported taking hours to reach their destinations, with traffic barely moving through central Dhaka throughout the afternoon.
“I normally reach Motijheel in 25 minutes by metro,” said Shakil Hossain, a private office employee. “Today it took nearly two hours by bus — it felt like the old days before the metro rail opened.”
DMTCL officials said the service was halted immediately after engineers confirmed that a bearing pad had detached from the elevated structure. “Passenger safety is our top priority. We have suspended operations to conduct a full inspection,” said DMTCL Managing Director Faruque Ahmed.
He added that a five-member committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the failure and determine whether it resulted from a design flaw, maintenance lapse, or installation issue. “We will leave no stone unturned to ensure safety and accountability,” he said, adding that the agency would provide compensation to the victim’s family.
Traffic authorities struggled throughout the day to manage the surge in vehicles as tens of thousands of daily metro commuters shifted to roads.
Rideshare fares spiked, and bus operators reported overwhelming passenger loads. Police were deployed at key intersections to direct traffic, but congestion persisted late into the evening.
Transport analysts said the incident underscored Dhaka’s growing dependence on the metro rail system to keep surface traffic manageable. “The metro rail has become an essential artery for Dhaka’s mobility. A single failure can bring the city to a halt,” said Prof. Shamsul Hoque, a transport expert at BUET.
DMTCL engineers, along with Japanese consultants involved in the metro’s construction, began inspecting all bearing pads and track supports along the line. Officials said metro services would remain suspended until safety was fully verified.
Around 3 pm, Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan visited the injured and the victim’s family at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital.
Speaking to reporters there, he said train movement between Agargaon and Uttara had already resumed, while the section from Farmgate to Motijheel would take more time to reopen.
“Crane support is required for the repair work. After the damaged part is replaced, we must conduct a full safety test to ensure no further accidents occur,” he said.
As dusk fell on Sunday, Dhaka’s streets remained gridlocked, with thousands of commuters waiting anxiously for full metro service to resume — a stark reminder of how dependent the city has become on its lone mass rapid transit line.
In a media statement issued in the evening, DMTCL said metro services were “temporarily suspended due to technical or mechanical issues” and apologized for the inconvenience. The agency urged passengers to remain patient during the disruption and later confirmed that services from Motijheel to Shahbagh resumed around 7:15 pm.