Nine years after 13 died in Ctg girder collapse, justice still elusive

Thirteen people died on a busy road in Chattogram's Bahaddarhat when the girder of an under-construction flyover collapsed in November 2014.

A case was filed a year later and, nine years on and there isn't even a whisper of justice. 

The names of some of the main accused have even been removed. 

The lawyer for the state said many of the people who were present at the time of the incident have not been found since. 

Prosecutor Anupam Chakraborty told TBS that many of them have changed their addresses and were unable to take the witness stand. 

Anupam Chakraborty, additional public prosecutor of the Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, told The Business Standard, "Of the witnesses, there were three police officers, two doctors and 27 people, including locals. Among them, 19 people's testimonies have been taken. The rest have been summoned to appear but many have moved elsewhere. 

"Besides, the testimony of an important witness, the then assistant registrar of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, Pulak Kumar Biswas, is yet to be taken. I know that he is in Dhaka. I am contacting him personally. Hopefully, he can be produced on 10 October, the next date of taking evidence."

On November 24, 2012, 13 people lost their lives when the under-construction flyover's girders collapsed. The then SI Abul Kalam Azad of Chandgaon police station filed a case over the incident, alleging deaths due to negligence. 

Flyover Project Director Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) Executive Engineer Habibur Rahman, Assistant Engineer Tanjib Hossain and Deputy Assistant Engineer Salah Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury were named in the case. 

Twenty-five others, including 10 people from the contracting company, Mir Akhtar and Parisa Trade Systems, and 12 people from the private consulting company SARM Associates were made accused.

In addition, on November 29 of that year, the then CDA chairman, Project Director AMM Habibur Rahman, Chief Engineer Nashir Uddin Mahmud, late Awami League leader Jahangir Sattar Tinku's wife and owner of the main contractor were also named. 

Another case was filed by a citizen's platform as well.  

After investigating the case filed by the police, on October 24, 2013, investigating officer Inspector SM Shahidul Islam filed a charge sheet against eight people in the court. 

In the charge sheet submitted to the court, the names of three CDA officials, three people including the managing director of the contracting company and 18 people including the managing director of the consulting company were omitted. 

In the latest complaint, police added the name of quality control engineer in the charge sheet.  

On June 18, 2014, the then Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge SM Mojibur Rahman accepted the charge sheet and ordered the trial against the eight accused. 

Since 2020, the case is pending with the court of Fourth Additional Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge Shariful Alam. 

It is being treated as a case of negligent homicide.

State counsel Anupam Chakraborty said, "The case can be proved if the testimony of the remaining doctor is received. 20 witnesses are enough. The case is proceeding in three sections. According to the section, the accused are liable to rigorous imprisonment for a maximum of 10 years and a minimum of 2 years. The proceedings of the case have been brought up. Hopefully, the result of the case will come by the end of this year."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of Bahaddarhat Flyover in January 2010. 

The flyover construction started in March 2011. 

On November 24, 2012, 13 people were killed when three girders of the flyover collapsed during its construction. After that, the Bangladesh Army got the responsibility of supervising the construction of the main flyover.

The main flyover was inaugurated in 2013. The 1,332 metre long and 14 metre wide flyover cost about Tk120 crore. Then on December 15, 2017, the ramp towards Kalurghat was inaugurated.