BRT girder collapse: PM expresses anger, orders action against perpetrators


FE Team | Published: August 16, 2022 16:14:00 | Updated: August 17, 2022 18:19:03


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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed her anger over the girder crash accident in Uttara which killed five members of a family and ordered authorities to find and punish the perpetrators.

She asked the authorities to identify those responsible for the disaster as soon as possible, said Planning Minister MA Mannan following the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council meeting on Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com.

Five members of a family were crushed to death as a girder to be used for the Bus Rapid Transit project fell on a passing car on Monday.

Two other members of the family, a newly married couple, were rescued from the crushed vehicle and sent to the hospital after the accident occurred around 4:15 pm in front of the Paradise Tower on Jashimuddin Road.

A day later, the city authorities suspended all work on the project, saying proper safety measures were not taken while work was ongoing.

“Accidents are happening every few days. People are suffering more and more. We cannot allow development work to continue this way. We must first ensure the safety of our city’s residents,” Dhaka North City Mayor Atiqul Islam said after visiting the disaster site.

There were two previous girder accidents on the project, one of which led to another death.

Those who frequently use the road have expressed their concern over the accidents, saying it makes them nervous to travel on that route.

Claims of mismanagement have dogged the project since the start. However, the project’s stakeholders say that if the deals with contractors are terminated in response to the disasters and mismanagement, it will create new problems.

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