Unsafe Expressway Construction Claims Lives, Authorities Remain Silent
Unsafe construction work on Dhaka’s Elevated Expressway has caused several deaths, raising serious concerns about safety and accountability. The latest victim, civil engineer ABM Ahsan Ullah Arif, died four days after a crane hit his motorcycle near Rainbow Crossing on October 18.
Mr. Arif suffered severe injuries when the crane’s wheel ran over his lower body. Doctors amputated one of his legs and gave him 40 bags of blood, but failed to save his life. He left behind his wife and eight-year-old son.
His death has raised fresh questions about safety measures at construction sites. According to his family, Arif received no immediate help from passers-by. A passer-by eventually contacted his brother and took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Several people have died in similar accidents during major construction projects in Dhaka.
On August 15, 2022, five people, including two children, were killed when a concrete girder fell onto a private car during BRT construction in Uttara. An investigation found negligence and unsafe construction practices, but no one has been punished so far.
On February 7, 2024, pedestrian Matiur Rahman was killed when a steel ladder fell on him from an elevated expressway construction site in Moghbazar.
The following day, construction worker Shamim Mia died after a container fell on him in Tejgaon. He had become a father only three months earlier.
Earlier, on May 29, 2023, a 12-year-old child was killed when a rod fell from a construction site in Mohakhali.
These repeated accidents have raised concerns about safety standards and accountability in major infrastructure projects. The Dhaka Elevated Expressway project is being implemented by Chinese contractor Sinohydro JV.
Human rights activist Waliul Islam Lona said deaths caused by safety negligence were violations of human rights. He stressed that the state must ensure the safety of every citizen.
An engineer of Dhaka North City Corporation said contractors must follow the Public Works Department’s safety guidelines. These include proper safety arrangements and life insurance for construction workers. However, many contractors fail to follow the rules or properly secure construction sites.
Experts and urban planners said international safety standards must be ensured at construction sites. They also called for strict legal action against those responsible for accidents to prevent further deaths.
