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27 Metro Rail bearing pads classified critical, cracks found in 46 piers
Published : Thursday, 10 September, 2026 at 9:32 AM
Observer Online Report
Twenty-seven bearing pads on Dhaka’s Uttara-Motijheel metro rail route have been classified as critical, while cracks of varying degrees have been detected in 46 piers, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam told parliament on Wednesday (September 9).
Responding to a starred question during the Jatiya Sangsad session, the minister said 730 of the metro rail’s bearing pads had been identified as defective, but not all of them were considered critical. Of the 730, 147 were classified as having minor defects.
The issue was raised by a lawmaker from the Cumilla-9 constituency, who asked the minister whether an independent safety audit had found defects in 23.28per cent-or 730-of the bearing pads and cracks in 46 piers along the Uttara-Motijheel route.
The lawmaker also sought details of government measures to address the problems in the public interest and ensure passenger safety.
In his response, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) was being appointed as a structural consultant to assess the risks to the metro rail infrastructure and determine repair strategies.
According to the independent safety audit report, defects in 297 bearing pads were primarily related to workmanship during installation, the minister said. The report also identified cracks of varying severity in 46 piers.
To implement the audit recommendations, the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) formed a committee titled the “Committee for Implementation of Safety Audit Report Recommendations” on July 16, 2026.
The committee has already begun work to implement the audit panel’s immediate recommendations, the minister said.
Steel brackets have been installed at 10 locations where bearing-pad displacement could potentially occur. Settlement markers have also been installed at 27 locations to monitor bearing-pad settlement.
The government has taken up a programme to replace 27 bearing pads, with the work targeted for completion by November 30, 2026.
Structural crack gauges are also being installed at 102 locations to measure and monitor cracks in the metro rail infrastructure. The installation is expected to be completed by October 31, 2026.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
