High Court asks why not compensate Uttara girder accident victims’ family

The court wants a report on BRT measures to keep people out of harm’s way

The High Court has issued a rule asking why the family of the victims of the Uttara girder accident will not be paid Tk 50 million as compensation.

A High Court bench of Justices Farah Mahbub and Ahmed Sohel issued the rule after hearing a writ petition on Wednesday.

The court ordered authorities to report within 60 days what measures Bus Rapid Transit or BRT project authorities took over the last five years to ensure public safety.

The Road Transport and Highway Division secretary, BRT chairman and managing director, project director and coordinator of Chinese construction and engineering company Gezhouba Group have been asked to answer the court.

Lawyer ABM Shahjahan Akanda Masum, who filed the petition on behalf of his colleague Zakaria Khan earlier on Tuesday, argued his case in court.

On Monday, a girder lifted by a BRT project crane fell down on a passing car crushing five people from a family to death in Uttara’s Jashimuddin Road. Two other passengers survived the accident.

The victims’ family started a case at Uttara West Police Station bringing charges of negligence against the Chinese company, crane operator and those responsible for the project’s safety.

Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam visited the site of the accident on Tuesday morning and said the project will remain suspended until proper safety measures were put in place.

Planning Minister MA Mannan said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered authorities to bring those responsible for the tragedy under the law and punish them duly.