Nighttime crimes, accidents surge on key Dhaka flyover devoid of streetlights

Darkness under the lampposts on the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover in Dhaka has prevailed for three years as the authorities have failed to repair the lights, leading to a rise in nighttime crimes and accidents.

People now try to avoid the flyover after sunset due to a lack of visibility. Most parts of the largest flyover in the city become eerily dark at night, with low visibility in some parts where there is light from the buildings next to the structure.

Inaugurated on Oct 26, 2017, the flyover has 15 ramps to access it at Satrasta, Hotel Sonargaon, Mogbazar, Ramna, Banglamotor, Malibagh, Rajarbagh Police Lines and Shantinagar.

Constructed by the Local Government Engineering Department, the Moghbazar to Hotel Sonargaon part of the flyover falls under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka North City Corporation while the rest of it falls under the Dhaka South City Corporation’s authority.

Chances of accidents are high on flyovers especially when it is dark, said Kazi Md Saifun Newaz, assistant professor at the Accident Research Institute of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

“It definitely creates a problem when a flyover is dark or dimly lit. The road won’t be visible clearly and the drivers would need to depend only on the headlights. And some vehicles have weak headlights that can lead to confusion. As the Mogbazar-Mouchak flyover has multiple loops, it becomes riskier (than others).”

He could not say how many accidents have occurred on the flyover due to the low visibility, but insisted that ‘a large number’ of the accidents in the city occurs on the flyovers.

Not many vehicles travel on the flyover at night due to the darkness, said Zahirul Haque, a security officer of Rashmono Clinic in Mogbazar.

“No one wants to take the flyover at night as there’s no light. There’s a chance of getting mugged or robbed and facing an accident. Most of the vehicles run below the flyover creating a traffic jam.”

Though he commutes by the flyover at daytime, he never opts to use it at night, said Ariful Islam, working in a private company. He commutes daily from his home in Goran to Karwan Bazar on a motorbike.

“The flyover feels spooky at night. Also, there’s a high chance of facing an accident or getting mugged.”

Muggers slit the throat of Milon, a driver of Pathao, a ride sharing service and took away his bike on Aug 26, last year.

The Dhaka South City Corporation received the charge of the flyover after it was completed under the AT project, said Borhan Uddin, engineer in charge at Traffic Engineering Department in DSCC when asked why the flyover did not have any light in it. A project has been designed and sent to the planning ministry for installing lights and other development works in the flyover.

“This project wasn’t done by us, but by the LGED. The lights went out of order or were lost just after the project was completed. We hope the Tk 230 million project will be approved next week, and we’ll start working. The flyover won’t be dark anymore.”

UNWANTED INCIDENTS

Besides Moghbazar flyover, other flyovers in the city have parts of them remaining dark. No light exists on one side of the Bijoy Sarani-Tejgaon flyover. The part from Khilgaon to Shahjahanpur of the Khilgaon Flyover has most of its lights broken, leaving that part dark.

Kuril flyover also has its lights broken and so has Mayor Mohammad Hanif flyover.

Mugging and other crimes became rampant in the flyovers as the lights are broken, said the law-enforcing agencies.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police, however, do not have any specific information on the crimes occurring in the flyovers.

The authorities are not replacing or mending the broken lights in the flyovers despite repeated reminders from the DMP, said Deputy Commissioner Mashiur Rahman.

“Not only mugging but road accidents are also occurring (there). People are scared of darkness and the criminals take advantage of it by committing crimes like mugging.”

The criminals hold a nylon cord horizontally on the flyover targeting motorcycles , police said. Motorbike riders get stuck on the cord and fall off the bike. Then the muggers snatch away the riders’ belongings including money and important documents. 

Nurul Islam, Abdullah Babu and Jalal, members of a mugger gang confessed to mug many people after they were arrested, said Mashiur Rahman.

Tanvir Zobayer, a student of a private university was mugged off his mobile phone and wallet after falling prey to a nylon cord tied up on a flyover on Jul 10, police said. Media personnel Mohammad Hossain Tarek experienced a similar incident on Jul 11.

Sheikh Raihan Kabir, another traveller was also ensnared in a similar way on Aug 12 at Kuril flyover. Mahmud Reza Tafur got a scratch on his throat with such a cord tied up at Jatrabari part of Mayor Hanif flyover.

The body of a young man Mizanur Rahman was recovered at the Hotel Sonarogaon part of Mogbazar flyover at around 1 am on Jan 2. He was killed for mugging, said police.

Earlier on Dec 15 last year, police recovered the body of a 40-year-old wrapped in a gamchha or local towel from Kuril flyover.