Child's death in tubewell shaft: Locals blame contractor, administration

The death of a three-year-old boy after falling into an abandoned tubewell shaft in Chattogram's Raozan has raised serious questions about safety oversight by the contractor and the local administration.

The child, Mejbah Uddin, fell into the 30-feet-deep shaft yesterday afternoon (28 January) while playing near his home at the Joynagar Ashrayan Project in Kodolpur Union. Fire Service and Civil Defence teams conducted a nearly three-hour rescue operation and pulled him out unconscious at around 8:10pm. 

He was taken to Raozan Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. Hospital officials said the child had died before reaching the hospital, reportedly due to suffocation from a severe shortage of oxygen inside the narrow shaft.

Local residents said the tubewell shaft was dug nearly four years ago as part of a government housing project for the landless. The borehole failed to find water and was later abandoned. Although it had been filled with loose soil, the hole was never properly sealed. Over time, rain and soil erosion caused the filling to collapse, leaving the shaft exposed.

"This was a deadly trap left in a residential area," said a local resident. "Everyone knew it was dangerous. No one took responsibility."

The incident has triggered anger in the area. Residents blamed both the contractor and the administration for negligence and demanded strict punishment for those responsible.

Kodulpur Union acting chairman Any Barua told The Business Standard that the upazila administration visited the site after the incident. "The child was playing with his elder sister when he slipped into the hole," he said. "We are now supervising work to fully fill the pit."

Officials from the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) said abandoned tube-well shafts should be sealed, especially when boreholes fail to find water. 

Md Rahmat Ullah, sub-assistant engineer at DPHE in Raozan, said no open hole was visible during inspections in early 2022. "This is a hilly area. Loose soil can sink after years of rainfall. The hole may have reopened over time," he said. He added that local residents did not report the risk earlier.

He said contractors visit project sites regularly. "The responsible contractor will be brought under accountability," he added. "Steps are being taken to fill the hole permanently."

Raozan Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Rahatul Islam said the administration had already provided financial support to the victim's family. "We are investigating whose negligence caused this," he said. 

3-year-old rescued from deep tubewell shaft in Raozan after nearly 3hrs, declared dead at hospital

"A 30-feet-deep hole cannot be left unprotected. This is a serious lapse." An investigation committee has been formed, and legal action will follow based on its report.

Contractor Md Azam, proprietor of M/s Akhi International, said he was unsure whether his firm handled the project but denied leaving unsafe sites. "In hilly areas, soil erosion happens," he said. "But such incidents are tragic and unacceptable."

The tragedy follows a similar incident last year in Rajshahi's Tanore Upazila. On 12 December, a two-year-old child named Sajid fell into an abandoned deep tube-well while walking with his mother through a paddy field. 

Fire Service teams conducted a 32-hour rescue operation, supplying oxygen through pipes. The child was later rescued unconscious and declared dead at Tanore Upazila Health Complex.