Top officials asked to explain girder accident

The chief engineer of Roads and Highways Department and the managing director of Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit Company Ltd were asked to explain Monday's incident that killed five people, including two children, in the capital's Uttara.

ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, secretary of Road Transport and Highway Division, also said the chief engineer was asked to issue show-cause notices to project officials.

The road transport and bridges ministry ordered issuing of show-cause notices to the director and two managers of BRT Line-3 project regarding their inaction in ensuring safety at the construction site, ministry sources said.

The tragedy happened as a crane toppled over, making a box girder segment fall on a car on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. Two children were among the five people crushed to death.

Rab arrested the crane operator, his helper and seven others in Gazipur, Sirajganj and Bagerhat, said a message sent to the media by the law enforcers.

The RHD and Dhaka BRT Company Ltd are implementing the project under which a 20.50km dedicated bus service road from Dhaka airport to Gazipur is being built. Physical work at the entire project got suspended after the Asian Development Bank, the main financier, on Tuesday called for ensuring foolproof safety or suspension of work.

In another development, top officials of the ministry and other government agencies met a delegate from the ADB and requested the latter to continue funding the project, Nuri said.

The lender was assured that necessary legal action would be taken against the company or individuals responsible, he told The Daily Star.

Sources said another loan for the project has been in discussion for some time between the government and ADB. The lender wants to ensure full safety compliance so that no such incident happens again.

The contractor was asked to resume work after ensuring full safety compliance, he added.

On Tuesday, a government probe committee in its preliminary report blamed the contractor, China Gezhouba Group Co Ltd, its safety management team, and the crane operator, for negligence.

Although the probe committee led by additional secretary Neelima Akhter has so far not named any individual responsible for the tragedy, experts and road safety campaigners said the project officials should be held responsible for their negligence.

MEETING WITH MAYOR

Dhaka North City Corporation will today meet the representatives from the agencies implementing development projects in its areas.

The issues of safety at project sites will be discussed at the meeting, expected to be chaired by Mayor Atiqul Islam.

In another development, the High Court yesterday issued a rule asking the authorities concerned why a directive should not be issued to pay Tk 5 crore in compensation to the victims' families, reports UNB.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Ahmed Sohail passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Zakaria Khan.

Home secretary, roads and highways secretary, inspector general of police, Bangladesh Bridge Authority, Roads and Highways Department and Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Company are respondents to the rule.

The HC also wanted to know what steps the BRT authorities took in the last five years for people's safety while carrying out development work. The court asked them to submit a report in 60 days.

Contacted last night, RHD Chief Engineer AKM Manir Hossain Pathan said he was yet to receive any directive.

Shafiqul Islam, managing director of BRT company, could not be reached for comments.