Published : 10 Sep 2026, 01:38 AM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:49 AM
Twenty-seven bearing pads along the Uttara to Motijheel metro rail route in Dhaka have been identified as "defective”, while cracks of varying degrees have been found on 46 piers, Road Transport Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has revealed.
The minister provided the data in parliament on Wednesday during a question-and-answer session designated for ministers and state ministers, responding to a query raised by Cumilla-9 MP Abul Kalam.
Citing an independent audit committee report, Rabiul said 23.28 percent -- or 730 -- of the bearing pads along the metro rail line were found to be faulty.
Responding to the statement, the minister said: "Not all 730 bearing pads listed in the report are defective.
“Among them, 147 were categorised as having minor flaws, while issues with 297 were primarily related to installation and workmanship quality.
“Only 27 bearing pads have been designated as truly defective."
The minister confirmed that the independent safety audit committee's report identified cracks of varying degrees across 46 piers.
Rabiul said, "Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd formed a committee on Jul 16 to implement the recommendations outlined in the safety audit report.
“Steel brackets have been installed at 10 locations identified as being at risk of bearing pad displacement.
“'Settlement markers' have also been set up at 27 points to measure structural settlement.”
A deadline of Nov 30 has been set to replace the 27 defective bearing pads, the minister said.
The process of appointing Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) as structural consultants is under way to assess the risk of the cracks on the 46 piers and determine repair strategies, he added.
