Work on BRT project in Uttara suspended after girder crash, says Mayor Atiq

All work on the Bus Rapid Transit project in Dhaka’s Uttara has been suspended after a falling girder killed five people in a car, says Dhaka North City Mayor Atiqul Islam, bdnews24.com reports.

The work will be suspended until all safety precautions are confirmed to have been taken, he said during an inspection of the scene of the horrific accident on Tuesday. Officials involved with the project were present for the visit.

Proper safety measures were not taken while work was ongoing on the project, the mayor said.

“As a result, accidents are happening every few days. People are suffering more and more. We cannot allow development work to continue in this way. We must first ensure the safety of our city’s residents.”

The DNCC mayor said he had spoken to the BRT authority and the secretary of the Roads and Highways Department on the matter.

“I told them we would suspend work on the BRT project and that we should meet the day after tomorrow. Not only is work on this project suspended, so are all other projects in Dhaka city.”

The directors of the BRT, Metro Rail and other Dhaka development projects have been summoned to the mayor’s offices on Thursday.

“I will speak to them there. We will only resume work when safety is ensured in the construction area.”