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Mistakes in textbooks: DU prof says won't take part in probe committee PM warns of plot to stir instability Adani abandons $2.5 billion share sale in big blow to Indian tycoon Hajj package cost rises by over 26pc By-polls swept by the blessed ones Buttler, Malan smash tons, and Archer takes six as England grab consolation win over SA Modi's patronisation of Adani and its cost for Bangladesh George Michael, Willie Nelson among Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees ChatGPT introduces subscription plan starting at $20 per month Spot LNG purchase resumes after seven months PM pays courtesy call to president Gill hundred flattens New Zealand as India win series decider Influencers and the ethics of enhancement surgery SC stays HC order seeking list of dead Bangladeshi workers in Qatar World Cup SC chamber judge delivers 160 orders in Bangla
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Editorial

Death by development?

Authorities must answer for gross safety oversight at Metro Rail construction site
Tue May 31, 2022 06:41 PM Last update on: Wed Jun 1, 2022 12:48 PM
File Photo: Collected

It is baffling that even a government project is not exempt from the perilous nature of construction practices in Bangladesh. A pedestrian was killed and five others injured in Dhaka's Pallabi area on Monday morning after bricks fell on them from the Metro Rail construction site. The deceased, Mahbubur Rahman Talukder, a 49-year-old worker at a jewellery shop in Mirpur-10, died on the spot.

How could this even happen? How is it that a government megaproject, costing thousands of crores of taka, does not have enough safety measures in place so as not to cause the death of a passer-by? Are there no safety officers overseeing such large-scale projects? And—as of the time of writing this editorial—why hasn't there been an official apology or any word of compensation from the authorities? Who will answer for Mahbubur's untimely death?  

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Deaths caused by construction work are not rare in Bangladesh. In 2021 alone, at least 154 workers died in the construction sector, according to a survey by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS). The actual figure, one has to assume, is much higher. Particularly in Dhaka, where there is at least one construction project going on in almost every block, there is a serious need for safe construction practices. But for Mahbubur's death to be caused by a megaproject like the Metro Rail is truly concerning. The Metro Rail construction spans across many areas, most of them extremely busy and populous ones. People often have to walk under the under-construction project, whether while crossing the road or due to there not being a proper footpath in the area. As if the sky-high number of road crashes wasn't enough, are citizens now supposed to constantly look left, right, front, back, and up when they are walking on the streets? Is death truly at every corner of a city under development?

We hope this death caused by the construction of Metro Rail will be an exception—but one death is still too many. What does it say about our vision of development when a person can die any day as they are walking by an under-construction site, with the authorities responsible often getting away with workers' and citizens' injuries and deaths without so much as a slap on the wrist? Mahbubur's family, including his 10-year-old daughter, deserve an apology and compensation from the government, and we urge that this takes place as soon as possible. Most importantly, the government must investigate the incident urgently and ensure the safety of all involved at and around public and private construction sites. Such avoidable deaths and injuries cannot be excusable.

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Metro Rail construction / metro rail in Bangladesh / Dhaka Metro Rail Project in Bangladesh
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