Drives launched to nab responsible people for girder collapse: RAB

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-1) are conducting drives to arrest those responsible for the crane accident that killed five and injured two in Dhaka's Uttara on Monday.

Lt Col Abdullah Al-Momen, commander of RAB-1, disclosed the information while addressing the press in Karwan Bazar on Tuesday.

He said, "RAB started a shadow investigation right after the incident took place. We started conducting drives to catch the culprits after a case was filed in this regard last night."

"People involved in this incident will be arrested and brought to justice soon," the RAB commander added.

Earlier on Monday, a was filed against the Chinese contractor for the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) -3 Elevated Expressway over the tragic incident.

Afran Mondal Babu, the brother of deceased Fahima Akhtar and Jharna Akhtar, filed the case against China Gezhouba (Group) Corporation (CGGC) under sections 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304 (causing death by negligence) of the Penal Code with Uttara West police station on Monday midnight.

Several unnamed people have been accused in the case, confirmed Uttara West police station OC Mohammad Mohsin.

"The crane operator has also been accused in the case. We have already started our investigation. Efforts are underway to catch the culprits," he added.

On Monday, five people including two children were crushed to death two others were injured after a girder fell on a car in Uttara.

Two passengers – a newly married couple Rezaul Karim Hridoy, 26 and Riya Akter, 19 – were rescued, but the rest of the passengers – Jharna Akter, 27, her two children Zakaria, 4, and Jannat, 6, and Hridoy's father Ayub Hossain Rubel, 55, and his mother-in-law Fahima Akter, 38, died on the spot.

Due to slow progress, the revised cost of the project has been estimated at Tk4,268.32 crore after a 109% or Tk2,228.48 crore hike from the initial estimation of Tk2,039.8489 crore. Three donor agencies, including the ADB, are providing Tk2,842.51 crore in loans for the project.