Case lodged against BRT contractor

The crushed private car under the girder of BRT project. Picture was taken from Uttara, Dhaka on 15 August 2022Khaled Sarker

A case of has been lodged against the contractor of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) alleging negligence in duty that caused death of five people in Uttara, Dhaka on Monday.

Five people were killed when a girder of the project’s under-construction flyover fell on a private car in the area.

Afran Mandal Babu, brother to deceased Fahima Akhter and Jharna Akhter filed the case accusing unknown persons including the crane operator with Uttara West police station early Tuesday.

Mohammad Mohsin, acting officer-in-charge of Uttara West police station said to Prothom Alo, unidentified people have been made accused in the case lodged in connection with the five people’s death. Investigation has started already to identify the responsible people, he added.

Plaintiff of the case Afran Mandal Babu said the private car carrying his two sisters and relatives was wrecked as a box girder of the BRT project came crushing down on it in front of Paradise Tower on Jashimuddin Road of Uttara sector no. 3 at around 4.15pm on Monday.

Though his niece Riya Akhter, 19, and Riya’s husband Rezaul Karim, 26, could be pulled out of the car immediately, five people remained trapped inside.

The case statement also said the plaintiff came to know from the witnesses that CGGC, a Chinese contractor company is working on the BRT project. As part of that project, a box girder was being loaded on a Lobet truck with a crane on the lane leading towards Gazipur of Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway.

It further said the task was being done in risky way during traffic movement without taking necessary safety measures. When the vehicle arrived on the spot the box girder crashed onto the car’s driving seat and most of the back seat. The car was wrecked on the spot killing five of the seven people who were inside.

The incident occurred due to the negligence of the crane driver, concerned persons of CGGC contractor and unknown persons responsible for ensuring safety. They have been made accused in the case for this, the statement added.