Airport-style checks: archway metal detectors and luggage scanners to be installed at metro stations
Photo: Collected
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has decided to install modern security equipment such as archway metal detectors and luggage scanners at metro rail stations in the capital, modelled on airports. The aim is to tighten security at stations and ensure the safety of passengers.
DMTCL director Md Nazrul Islam disclosed the information today. He said that under the new system, archway metal detectors will detect metal objects on passengers before they enter a station, while bags and belongings will be checked by luggage scanners.
DMTCL invited online tenders on 19 October to buy the necessary equipment. The tender was called by Mohammad Asaduzzaman, general manager of the company’s store and procurement department.
The notice asks interested and qualified firms to submit bids through the national e-Government Procurement (e-GP) portal. Detailed information and guidelines on the matter are also available on the portal.
Once the new system is in place, bags and other belongings carried by passengers can be scanned as they enter stations, and metal objects carried on the body will be detected by the archway metal detectors. The authorities concerned hope this will increase screening capacity and help prevent untoward incidents.
However, no specific timeline has yet been announced on how many security devices will be bought, at which stations they will be installed in the first phase, and when regular screening of passengers will begin.
The same tender notice also covers an annual maintenance contract for the electrical systems installed at the depot of the metro rail’s MRT Line-6. Under it, maintenance will be carried out on the low-voltage (LV) system, diesel generator sets, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system, ventilation system and other general electrical works.
According to the notice, tender documents can be purchased on 11 November from 2pm to 3pm.
Background
bdnews24.com reported that metro rail passenger services began on the Uttara-Agargaon section on 29 December 2022.
According to a Jugantor report of 5 July, commercial operations from Uttara to Motijheel began in November 2023, while April 2027 has been set as the target for opening the extended section from Motijheel to Kamalapur.
By the numbers
Ridership figures give an idea of how much pressure the new screening system may face. According to DMTCL data, an average of about 4 lakh 10 thousand passengers travel on Line-6 every day, and on some days the figure has exceeded 4 lakh 25 thousand, Dhaka Times reported on 6 July.
Sources
Background sources: bdnews24.com; Jugantor, 5 July 2026; Dhaka Times, 6 July 2026
