A man lost his life in Dhaka’s Farmgate area on Sunday afternoon when a component from the elevated metro rail structure came loose and dropped on him, leading to a temporary shutdown of train operations.
The accident happened around 12:15pm in front of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, close to Farmgate Station, said Mobarak Hossain, officer-in-charge of Tejgaon Police Station.
Police described the fallen item as a bearing pad – a rubber spring-like fixture placed between metro rail piers and girders to reduce vibration and allow movement during train operations.
Sub-inspector Nazrul Islam said authorities of the metro rail were immediately alerted.
The victim was identified as Abul Kalam Azad from Kishorkathi village under Naria upazila in Shariatpur district.
Eyewitnesses said a heavy metal piece fell from the sky without warning and hit the man’s head while he was passing by. He collapsed with severe bleeding. Locals took him to a nearby medical facility, where doctors pronounced him dead.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited initially suspended metro services on the Uttara–Motijheel route from 12:30pm, saying operations would resume only after ensuring safety. Later, train movement resumed around 3pm between Uttara and Agargaon stations.
Metro authorities experienced a similar problem in September last year when another bearing pad slipped from a structure. That incident halted train movement for nearly 11 hours, but caused no injuries.
Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan visited the site in Farmgate where a pedestrian was killed after a metro rail bearing pad fell from above.
He said the victim’s family will receive Tk 500,000 as compensation.
“If any member of the family is unemployed, they will be offered a job in the metro rail service. A probe committee will be formed to investigate the incident,” said Kabir.
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) Civil Engineering Professor Hadiuzzaman has expressed concern over the increasing risks surrounding the metro rail system following Sunday’s fatal accident in Farmgate.
He said a similar accident occurred in the same area in September last year, though it caused no casualties. The recurrence of the incident within just a year, he noted, raises serious safety questions.
“Sunday’s incident proves there are flaws in the metro rail’s design,” he said, calling for an immediate design audit to identify structural problems and prevent further danger.
Professor Hadiuzzaman warned that such accidents may become more frequent if necessary safety checks are not taken urgently.
