Metro Mishap: Teen on Train Roof Halts Dhaka MRT Operations

Operations of the electricity-powered high-speed mass transit Metro Rail were temporarily suspended around 8:40 PM on Sunday, 30 November, after a teenager climbed onto the roof through the gap between two coaches at the Secretariat Station in the capital. Train services remained suspended for the rest of the night.

According to Metro Rail authorities, MRT Police brought the teenager down using a ladder within a short time and later handed him over to Shahbagh Police Station. Some eyewitnesses claimed another individual was seen running along the metro track, though law enforcement agencies did not find anyone on the line afterward. As per metro operation guidelines, such incidents require thorough inspection of the entire line and all trains, which is why services were not resumed that night.

Earlier, Ahsan Ullah Sharifi, Deputy Project Director (Public Relations) of MRT Line-6, stated that train operations were temporarily halted after two teenagers climbed onto the roof of a metro train at Bangladesh Secretariat Station. Metro Rail authorities expressed sincere apologies for the temporary inconvenience.

He could not confirm the exact time the train operations were suspended. However, passengers reported that services had been halted for about 40 minutes since 8:30 PM. Victims of the disruption began posting updates in the Facebook group Traffic Alert. In one such post, Sharif Hossain wrote, “We are stuck midway between Farmgate and Bijoy Sarani on the metro. An announcement is echoing—‘Stay calm, do not panic.’” Many others commented about their distress and being stranded at different stations.

Meanwhile, sources at DMTCL said the boy is believed to be around 13–14 years old. Initial suspicions suggest he may have been living in a child care home and appeared somewhat mentally unstable.

Farooq Ahmed, Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which oversees metro operations, said that services remained shut for the night as a precaution. Metro trains will run as per schedule from Monday morning. Authorities are investigating how and why the teenager climbed onto the train roof.

DBTech / DP / EK / OR