Contractor’s negligence responsible

A probe body primarily found that negligence of the Chinese contractor led to the incident in Uttara that left five passengers of a car dead being crushed by under-construction BRT-3 Elevated Expressway’s box girder.

Road Transport and Highway Division Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri said they might terminate the contractor China Gazhuba Group Corporation (CGGC) or even blacklist them as punishment after receiving full report.

Earlier on the day Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed the authorities concerned to take action against those responsible.

“The project director and consultants can’t avoid responsibility,” Planning Minister MA Mannan quoted the PM as saying while addressing a press briefing following a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).

“The Prime Minister is shocked by the Uttara incident. Everyone, from the project manager to the contractor, should be brought under investigation,” he quoted the PM.

Meanwhile, a case has been filed against CGGC, said Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Md Atiqul Islam adding that the construction work should be suspended until proper security was ensured.

In another development, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam Tuesday ordered to stop the work of the BRT project.

“The construction work will be resumed after the project authorities can ensure the safety of the people,” he said, adding that he would sit with BRT officials on Thursday on security issues.

Meanwhile, the High Court asked the two human rights organisations, who brought the matter into the notice of the court, to file a write petition with it.

The tragedy occurred exactly a month after a worker was killed by a falling crane in the Gazipur part of the project. Also, last year, six workers escaped with injuries after a part of a launching girder collapsed near them.

The place is close to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

Chinese contractor overlooked safety protocol

ABM Amin Ullah Nuri said the construction work was supposed to be halted during holiday on 15 August.

But the contractor worked to move the box girders by a crane. The crane with second girder lost control and fell on the moving private car. Apparently, the crane was placed on uneven surface.

The contractor was supposed to inform the consultant and get work plan and method but they did not. Chinese workers and the crane operator were there. The authorities were not informed and safety wasn’t ensured, he said.

They did not inform traffic police to stop vehicular movements as well, he said. “When we asked the company, they claimed it was their routine work, which was not true,” he added.

DBRTCL unhappy for a long 

Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit Co Ltd (DBRTCL) Managing Director Shafiqul Islam after visiting the spot on Tuesday said two Chinese companies were working on the project and from the beginning they had been creating troubles.

They do not have sufficient money and have deployed less manpower and equipment. The City Corporation, the ministry concerned and the ADB have asked them for long to maintain workplace safety but they have ignored, he said.

Cases filed

A case has been filed against CGGC with Uttara West Police Station in the early hours of Tuesday on charge of negligence by a relative of two victims.

The five, including two children, died in the incident while a newlywed couple – Rezaul Karim Hriday and his wife Riya Akhter - survived who were also travelling in the same car.

Hridoy said they were going to his father-in-law’s house at Ashulia’s Khejurbagan from Dhaka’s Kawla area after the wedding programme.

His father Ayub Ali Hussain Rubel, 55, was driving the car and he was beside him. His wife Riya, mother-in-law Fahima Akhtar, 38, aunt-in-law Jharna Akhtar, 27, and her two children Jannatul, 6, and Zakaria, 4, were sitting at the rear of the car.

“We saw from a distance that the girders were hanging. Cars and buses were passing under the girder. My father kept driving thinking that we could also get through it,” he said.

Safety first before resuming BRT work: Mayor Atiqul

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam on Tuesday said that the work of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project will be resumed only after ensuring the safety of the people on road.

“We will hold a meeting with the BRT project officials on Thursday at Nagar Bhaban. I have ordered to stop the work of the project until then,” he said, after visiting the spot at Uttara where five people died on Monday when a girder of an under-construction flyover fell on a private car.

“Any construction project must have proper safety measures in place. Work should be carried out ensuring safe movement of people,” he added.

The DNCC mayor said “Accident can happen at any time when a heavy girder is lifted with a crane over a busy road. So, an alternative crane should be kept ready to carry out the rescue work. Ambulances are also supposed to be there to take the injured to the hospital in case of an accident. But, the BRT project authorities did not act accordingly.”

“The project authorities could have requested the traffic police for using an alternative route when lifting the girder with a crane. But they did not communicate with the traffic police at all. The accident happened because of their negligence. Such negligence cannot be allowed to continue,” he added.