B Mirror Report: Bangladesh’s maiden metro rail is set to face a comprehensive safety inspection by an internationally accredited firm following a series of accidents and operational disruptions, just over three years after its hurried launch.
Sources said engaging foreign experts has become essential as the local probe body formed after a fatal accident last October lacks the technical expertise and equipment required to determine faults and recommend retrofitting measures.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has decided to seek audit certification of Mass Rapid Transit Line-6 (MRT-6) through an international firm by floating an expression-of-interest (EOI) tender soon. The move follows recommendations from an independent six-member committee that has been conducting an audit since December.
Officials said the committee has been working for the past two months but has yet to complete the inspection due to limited technical and qualitative capacity, including a lack of know-how and equipment needed to issue a standard operation certificate for such a highly technical mass-transit system.
“There are many limitations in certifying the MRT through any local firm, as only an accredited authority can provide standard operation certification in line with international norms,” said transport expert Prof Mohammad Shamsul Hoque, a member of the independent committee.
The committee was formed at the end of December in line with a High Court writ and recommendations from an earlier inquiry body that investigated the bearing-pad crash near Farmgate station, which killed a pedestrian.
DMTCL Managing Director Mohammad Faruque Ahmed confirmed the decision to seek international certification but said the final step would be taken after approval at the next board meeting. He added that although the independent committee has not yet submitted its final report, it has informally emphasized the need for safety-audit certification by a recognized firm.
The country’s first MRT has been operating from Uttara to Motijheel since its partial inauguration in late December 2022, reportedly without completing adequate non-passenger trial runs due to political considerations at the time.
Since then, DMTCL has struggled to run the metro at full capacity, citing shortages of skilled manpower and technical expertise. While minor disruptions lasting from minutes to hours have been frequent, two daylong shutdowns occurred in September 2024 and October 2025 after bearing pads fell from separate piers an incident considered extremely rare globally.
A probe committee formed after the October accident identified several factors behind the incidents, including design flaws and lack of proper certification.
