Motorcyclist says crane crushed them while they were waiting at traffic signal

The driver sitting on the motorcycle is Md Faruk Mia, and the passenger is ABM Ahsanullah Arif. They are waiting for the green light at the signal.

Driver Faruk Mia told Prothom Alo on Saturday, "While we were at the signal, a large crane approached from the back and came over the motorcycle through the middle of the road. Part of the crane fell on the body of the motorcycle passenger, Arif."

Faruk Mia further mentioned that he somehow survived. Arif was seriously injured. The flesh from his hips to his legs was torn off. The part below the knee of his right leg was crushed.

Ahsanullah Arif, who was an engineer by profession, died after receiving treatment for five days at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

The accident occurred on 18 October at the FDC intersection in the capital. The crane was being used for construction work on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway in the area adjacent to Hatirjheel and Panthakunja Park.

The accident did not receive much attention. Ahsanullah Arif's family members say that his family has been devastated by his loss.

Among the infrastructure projects in the country that have faced delays, one is the Dhaka Elevated Expressway. The project for this approximately 20-kilometer-long elevated road from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kutubkhali in Jatrabari was undertaken in 2009. Formal construction work began on 1 January 2020.

On 2 September 2023, the 11.5 km section from the airport to Tejgaon was inaugurated. The construction of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway is being carried out by China's Shandong Hi-Speed Group and Sinohydro Corporation.

The incident of engineer Ahsanullah Arif's death due to the crane has been described to Prothom Alo by motorcycle driver Faruk Mia and Arif's elder brother ABM Yasin Ullah. They mentioned that after the accident, the people present detained the crane driver and handed him over to the police.

Yasin Ullah told Prothom Alo that on the day of the incident, Arif was going to see his elderly mother, who was admitted at Universal Medical Hospital in Mohakhali. The mother recovered and returned home after the accident, but Arif could not.

Yasin Ullah mentioned that Arif was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital about two hours after the accident, where doctors amputated his right leg during surgery. Most of the flesh of the left leg had been torn off. Doctors were trying to save the leg. He was kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) from the day of the accident. Arif died on 23 October, suffering from severe pneumonia.

Arif’s family stated that he is survived by his father, mother, wife, and one child. Elder brother Yasin Ullah said that their mother still cannot speak properly. Arif's wife is devastated. With lamentation, he said, "My vibrant brother is gone. It still doesn’t feel real. The whole family has been shattered."

Yasin Ullah mentioned that he is an officer in the BCS Health Cadre, and Arif was an engineer.

Arif’s family has filed a case at Hatirjheel Police Station over his death. However, they are uncertain about the future of the case investigation and judicial process.

The investigating officer of the case, Sub-Inspector (SI) Suman Mia of Hatirjheel Police Station, told Prothom Alo that the investigation is ongoing.

A motorcycle and a crane have been seized from the accident site. Discussions are ongoing about the ownership of the crane and the associated company.

However, the police officer mentioned that there are limitations in confirming what exactly happened during the accident. He said no functioning CCTV cameras were in the area. The investigation is proceeding based on the information received from eyewitnesses. An indictment will be filed in court after reviewing everything. Detailed comments are currently not possible.

The construction work on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway is being carried out by China's Shandong Hi-Speed Group and Sinohydro Corporation.

Efforts were made to contact the officials of these companies over the phone for their comments regarding the accident, but they did not answer their phones. No comments were received from them despite sending text messages.

Dhaka Elevated Expressway's project director, Golam Mortuza, told Prothom Alo, "We have recently been informed about the incident. An investigation report has been requested from the investor company on this matter."

Regarding the allegation by the victim's family that the crane lifted the motorcycle from behind while it was stationary, the project director said, "We have not spoken to the family. However, we have learned that a passenger fell off during a competition between a motorcycle and a CNG autorickshaw from the Moghbazar signal and went under the crane."

There have been other examples of accidents in the construction work on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway. In 2023, a 12-year-old child died in Mohakhali when an iron rod fell. In 2024, Shamim Mia died when a crane container for the elevated expressway work fell in Tejkunipara.

Arif's brother, Yasin Ullah, said they want a thorough investigation of the incident and justice for those responsible. He also wishes that no one else loses their life in such accidents.