The metro rail accident that killed a pedestrian on October 26 was caused by a faulty design and the use of substandard bearing pads, Road Transport and Bridges Ministry Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan said on Thursday. He said preliminary findings showed that the hardness, compression set and neoprene content of the displaced bearing pad did not meet standard specifications, although further testing at overseas laboratories is required for confirmation. The bearing pad was also installed at a slight slope of 0.8%, which may have contributed to its displacement, the adviser added. It further recommended establishing a robust structural health monitoring system, strengthening the metro rail authority’s technical capacity, and ensuring effective technology transfer from foreign consultants to local experts. On October 26, Abul Kalam Azad, was killed when a bearing pad fell from a metro rail pillar near Farmgate station in Dhaka.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 01, 2026 12:56 UTC