The displacement of a bearing pad was the reason behind the metro rail service being suspended in the Agargaon-Motijheel section this morning.

The service on the section is suspended as of 4:00pm.

"One of the four bearing pads placed on a metro rail pier near the Farmgate station got displaced and fell to the ground, causing disruption of metro rail services from morning," said Md Abdul Baquee Miah, director (planning and development) of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited.

He could not specify how long it would take to resume services on the section.

On elevated structures like bridges and metro rail, bearing pads are placed between the viaduct and the pier. They are used for transmission of load from superstructures to piers and to absorb the vibrations caused by the movement of the metro trains, experts said.

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A DMTCL official on the spot, wishing not to be named, said the displacement of the bearing pad slightly tilted the viaduct. The operator of a metro train placed a complaint about the problem to the authorities, after which operations were halted in the section of the metro rail from Agargaon to Motijheel.

The authorities have brought two manlift machines to the spot to work on repairs. Around 50 people were seen working there in presence of officials.

Both local and Japanese workers and engineers were seen working to lift the pad back onto the pier around 3:30pm, our correspondent reported from the spot.

"We have placed a high-powered hydraulic jack on the pier, and using the jack, the viaduct will be lifted to place bearing pad there," the on-site official said.

Once the bearing pad is placed, further time will be needed as several tests will be carried out before resumption of services, he added.