Metro services from Motijheel to Shahbagh resumed at 7:15 pm on Sunday after a continuous five-hour suspension, confirmed Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL).

In a statement, DMTCL said metro services between Uttara and Agargaon restarted at 3:00 pm following a three-hour suspension of all services. While services from Motijheel to Farmgate remain suspended due to ongoing maintenance, trains from Motijheel to Shahbagh resumed in the evening.

The disruption occurred around 12:15 pm when a bearing pad suddenly detached from Pillar No. 433 near Khejur Bagan in Farmgate, hitting a pedestrian, Abul Kalam Azad, 35, on the head and killing him instantly. Two others were injured in the incident, leading to an almost three-hour halt of all metro operations.

The incident has raised concerns over pedestrian safety and DMTCL’s maintenance oversight. A similar accident occurred on September 18, 2024, when a bearing pad fell at Farmgate, resulting in an 11-hour suspension of metro services between Agargaon and Motijheel.

Responding to questions about whether measures were taken after the 2024 incident, DMTCL Managing Director Faruque Ahmed said, “All recommended measures were implemented following the previous committee report. Each pillar was physically inspected by experts. The defect occurred within the liability period, and the contractor corrected it at the time.”

Recent DMTCL reviews indicate that Dhaka’s metro project is among the costliest in Asia. Construction cost per kilometre is $40.77 million in India, $166 million in Riyadh, $188 million in Dubai, while in Dhaka it ranges between $226.74 million and $253.63 million per kilometre.