Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited is buying 22 additional bearing pads to bolster structural safety along the metro rail’s elevated viaduct. The procurement follows recommendations by the operator’s safety audit committee to stabilise key piers and protect passengers. Meeting on August 10 for its sixth progress review, the committee tracked ongoing work and new measures.
DMTCL sources said workers have installed 10 steel brackets across piers 423, 442, 446 and 448, alongside a new bearing pad on pier 448. Five bearing pads from existing stock are now being fitted across other piers while the deal for the 22 additional pads moves forward.
To monitor minor structural shifts and surface cracks, the operator is introducing new technical measures across the viaduct. Workers are installing settlement markers and crack gauges on the heads of 27 piers. Five markers and two gauges have already been secured, with orders out for the remainder. Across the entire network, the company plans to deploy 102 crack gauges for continuous tracking.
To address defects in pier heads and box girders, DMTCL officials have decided to hire the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology as an expert consultant. DMTCL officials said the university will investigate the root causes of the structural faults and outline a long-term repair plan.
Safety reforms extend beyond civil works into the metro rail network’s electrical infrastructure. An investigation into overhead catenary system sparking, raised earlier by train drivers and engineers, has concluded. Engineers have begun work on a permanent fix by modifying the insulated overlap design. The operator is also strengthening waterproofing across stations and power substations. It has also tested a backup communications system designed to keep stations connected to the central control room during emergencies such as power outages.
“We are prioritising expert technical advice and moving rapidly to replace bearing pads on metro piers,” DMTCL Managing Director Shaugatul Alam told Bonik Barta.
“Several pads have already been installed. Procurement for the remainder is moving quickly while maintaining international standards. We have also accelerated work to engage BUET, monitor cracks and redesign power lines. These immediate and long-term measures aim to guarantee safe, comfortable and uninterrupted journeys for passengers.”
Rubber bearing pads sit at the junction between piers and elevated viaducts on bridges, flyovers and metro systems to support structural loads and absorb vibration. While such heavy components rarely dislodge from transit networks globally, Bangladesh has recorded two such failures within three years of opening its metro rail.
The Uttara–Motijheel corridor uses 2,480 bearing pads across 620 piers. In September 2024, a pad came loose from pier 430 in the system’s first incident, halting services for 11 hours. Then a second pad fell from pier 433 near Farmgate station in October 2025, killing a pedestrian.
The consecutive failures raised severe safety concerns and prompted the High Court Division to order a high-level safety audit panel of senior engineers and experts. Acting on its recommendations, DMTCL is now inspecting and repairing structural elements, electrical systems and emergency communications across the entire line.