Commuters suffer as metro rail remains partly suspended

Commuters in Dhaka are facing severe hardship as the metro rail service between Uttara and Motijheel remains suspended for a second day following the death of a pedestrian due to a fallen bearing pad from the elevated track in Farmgate.

Metro trains are currently running only between Shahbagh and Motijheel, forcing passengers travelling from Uttara to disembark at Agargaon and find alternative transport.

On Monday morning, hundreds of stranded passengers were seen waiting for buses and rickshaws under the Agargaon Metro Station, as traffic crawled through the intersection, reports bdnews24.com.

A crowded Shwadhin Paribahan bus arriving from Mirpur drew a rush of commuters at its doors, but the driver’s assistant waved them off, shouting that there was no room inside.

One female commuter pleaded to be let in, saying she was already late for work.

Unable to find any transport, many passengers were seen walking in long lines from Agargaon to Bijoy Sarani.

Heavy traffic also stretched from Agargaon to Khamarbari as the metro authorities closed the left lane from Khamarbari to Farmgate to conduct repairs on the damaged bearing pads.

“I came from Uttara to Agargaon by metro rail and have been waiting 30 minutes for my office bus, but it hasn’t arrived because of the jam,” said Rakibul Islam, a bank official.

The makeshift shops on the footpath near the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh, where the bearing pad fell on Sunday, killing pedestrian Abul Kalam, have been ordered shut.

Pedestrians are allowed to walk along the footpaths, but vehicles have been barred from the affected section of the road.

The lanes and alleys in Agargaon were also choked with traffic, adding to commuter frustration.