The High Court of Bangladesh has issued a rule asking why the family of the pedestrian who died after a bearing pad fell from a metro rail pillar should not be directed to receive BDT 2 crore (20 million) in compensation.
The bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Md. Asif Hasan issued the rule today, Wednesday, following a combined hearing of three separate writ petitions filed concerning the incident.
The High Court also issued a rule asking why the government should not be directed to include provisions in the Metro Rail Act for adequate compensation for victims in case of failure to ensure structural safety of the project. Relevant parties have been ordered to respond to the rule.
🚨 Key Directives from the High Court
The High Court has also instructed the Road Transport Secretary to form a high-powered expert committee. This committee must include:
• University Professors
• Structural Engineers
• Private Experts
This committee is tasked with conducting a complete safety audit and structural stability review of the entire Metro Rail project (including all lines and pillars) and submitting a report within 30 days.
⚖️ Legal Details and Background
Barrister Abdullah Al Mamun and Advocate Tanvir Ahmed represented the petitioners during the hearing. Advocate Tanvir Ahmed confirmed that the court consolidated and ruled on three separate writs filed over the death of Abul Kalam Azad (35), who was killed when the bearing pad fell from the metro rail pillar.
The Incident: Last Sunday around 12:30 PM, a bearing pad fell from pillar No. 433, located on the west side of the Farmgate Metro Rail station, hitting pedestrian Abul Kalam Azad on the head. He died on the spot.
Immediate Impact: Metro rail operations were halted for nearly two and a half hours after the accident. Service later resumed partially from Uttara North to Agargaon at 3:00 PM, and from Motijheel to Shahbagh at 7:15 PM. However, the section between Agargaon and Shahbagh remained closed for bearing pad repair. Full service on the entire line resumed on Monday at 11:00 AM.
Government Response: Faujul Kabir Khan, an advisor to the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry and the Railway Ministry, visited the site. He announced that a five-member investigation committee has been formed, headed by Bridge Division Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rouf, which is due to submit its report within two weeks.
Khan also stated that the victim’s family would be given an initial compensation of BDT 5 lakh (500,000). Furthermore, arrangements would be made to offer a job opportunity within the Metro Rail project to any employable member of the victim’s family.
