4-member committee formed to investigate bridge collapse in Chattogram

Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) formed a four-member investigation committee to look into the bridge collapse in the Oxygen area of the port city. 

The committee was formed yesterday (7 August). It has been instructed to submit its report within four working days.

Aziz Ahmed, public relations officer of CCC, told the Business Standard that the investigation committee, headed by the chief engineer of CCC was formed to find the cause of the collapse and recommend measures so that there are no such incidents in future. The other members of the committee are the chief conservancy officer, a representative from the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA); and the concerned executive engineer of the city corporation. The committee has been asked to submit its report within four working days.

Earlier, the bridge over the Sheetal Jharna canal in the Oxygen area near Star Ship Lane collapsed around 6am yesterday (7 August) as soil beneath the structure eroded.

The bridge served as a crucial connector between Gate-2 of the city and Oxygen area, facilitating daily commutes for a large number of people. Vehicles from nearby industrial zones and several important educational institutions heavily rely on this road.

CCC Mayor Shahadat Hossain visited the site immediately after the collapse. He told reporters that the bridge had been affected by the widening of the canal, conducted under CCC's waterlogging project. He noted though this widening prevented waterlogging in the area the soil beneath the canal had eroded due to the heavy flow of water.

Shahadat also complained about not receiving sufficient budget, stating, "The 6-meter bridge needs to be widened to 15 meters which would cost about Tk9 crore. This area has been neglected for a long time. We are not receiving the necessary budget, even under the current government. Now we have decided to fix the bridge using public tax money."