Ensure complete safety of metro rail operation

Bangladesh has become such a death trap that no one knows when or how someone might die. A pedestrian was walking along the road when suddenly a heavy object fell on his head, causing his instant death. Such a horrific accident occurred this Sunday (26 October) noon in front of the Bangladesh Agricultural Institute near the Farmgate station. The bearing pad (a heavy object) of a metro line loosened and fell, killing a pedestrian named Abul Kalam on the spot. The weight of the heavy object was about 140–150 kilograms.

According to reports published in the media, two nearby makeshift shopkeepers were also injured in the accident. The object had fallen on the front part of their shops. The heavy object looked like a slab. It has been identified as a metro line bearing pad. Eyewitnesses said the object had fallen from above, but no one saw exactly from where it fell. Apart from the metro line, there was no other structure above from which anything could have fallen. One shopkeeper told the media that the deceased pedestrian had been walking along the road when the heavy object fell from above and killed him on the spot.

Due to the accident, metro rail operations were suspended from noon. As a result, severe traffic congestion prevailed throughout the city all day. In the afternoon, metro service from Uttara to Agargaon was resumed; but the passengers who mostly depend on the metro rail are those travelling between Motijheel and Mirpur. For those who had become accustomed to commuting by metro, this caused extreme suffering.

However, the untimely death of one person is far more painful than the suffering of thousands. Especially such an unexpected death is absolutely unacceptable. The fact that such a heavy object could come loose and fall from the metro rail raises questions about the overall construction process and safety measures of the metro rail. It has been initially learned that a bearing pad used to control the vibration of the pillars during metro operation came off and fell. Does this mean such accidents could happen again?

The government has decided to provide a compensation of Tk 500,000 to the deceased’s family. No amount of compensation can ever make up for an unexpected death, and Tk 500,000 is indeed a trifling sum. We demand a proper investigation into the incident. It is essential to know why the bearing pad came loose and fell. At the same time, it must be examined whether there are any other technical faults in the metro rail. The construction company also cannot evade responsibility for this incident. We want the government to ensure the complete safety of the metro rail.