POBNEWS24,Dhaka, Sep 3, 2022 : The investigation committee has found the responsibility of the Chinese contractor in the case of five people who died when they were crushed by the girders of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Uttara, the capital of Bangladesh.
The committee recommended punishment to the contractor.
However, it has been left to the ministry whether to take strict measures like canceling the contract and blacklisting the contractor.
The committee submitted the investigation report to the Road Transport Secretary on Thursday (September 2).
None of the seven-member inquiry committee was available.
According to the committee sources, the investigation report contains the statements of about 20 people, including the imprisoned crane operator Al Amin Hossain Hriday. Hriday’s statement was taken from prison.
The statements of 10 Chinese nationals have also been taken. They have been grossly uncooperative in the investigation. That is why the investigation has been delayed. This matter is also in the report.
Although 10 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in the girder accident, no action was taken against any of the Chinese contractors concerned.
Five people were killed when the girder collapsed, where the contractor for that part of the BRT was China Gezhuba Group Company Limited.
Another Chinese company, Jiangsu Provincial Transportation Engineering Group Company Limited, is the contractor for the BRT’s aerial part.
According to the investigation report, the Chinese contractor has never performed well in the last five years because of the financial crisis.
Sources in the investigation committee said that the most difficult task was to find the accused who were out on bail and take their statements.
The entire incident has come out in their statements, eyewitness accounts. General workers were working on holidays under the instructions of the contractor. They were not responsible for it. According to the report, the responsibility lies with the higher authority of the contracting organization.
