Chaithwai Marma, Khagrachari Correspondent: Two workers were killed and five workers were injured in the collapse of the roof of Pajep’s cantilever due to the negligence of the design and the executive engineer in the case of the collapse of the building of Khagrachari hill district council. The officials involved in the investigation received such information in the initial investigation.
On October 8 of this month, two construction workers were killed and five others were injured when the roof of the new administrative building of Khagrachari Hill District Council collapsed at around 4:30 pm. But at that time, no official of Khagrachari hill district council was found at the scene and in the hospital. The Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry formed a four-member separate investigation committee headed by Additional Secretary Md. Aminul Islam. The other members of the committee are Ashish Kumar Saha, deputy secretary of the concerned ministry, representative of Khagrachari district administrator and executive engineer of Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board.
On the other hand, Khagrachari Hill District District Council Chairman Mangsuipruu Chowdhury Apu District Council member Kalyan Mitra Barua has formed a three-member separate investigation committee. But the progress of the investigation committee formed by the Khagrachari Hill District Council is not yet known, but the investigation committee formed by the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs has already inspected the incident site.
On the condition of anonymity, an official related to the investigation attributed the death of two workers and injuries to five workers in the collapse of the Kendi Libar roof of Khagrachari Zilla Parishad due to design defects and negligence on the part of the Zilla Parishad’s executive engineer. Also, no engineer was present at the site during the roof casting. He attributed the casting to the use of bamboo instead of iron rods and to the elaborate centering system.
According to a responsible source, around 2018, the construction of the administrative building of the mountain district council worth several crores started. Against the lines of a tribal contractor to evade the government’s revenue, three influential leaders of the local Awami League shared the work in various ways. Even though the fixed period of work is over, the time is extended step by step due to party influence.
Zilla Parishad Executive Engineer Tripti Shankar Chakma’s phone was switched off after the accident. Army officers and fire service officials who led the rescue operation were also of the opinion that no engineer was on the spot during the roof casting. Casting was done with bamboo instead of iron rods. The centering system was systematic.
The people of Khagrachari district hope that the report of the investigation committee formed in the case of the casualties in the Kendilibar roofing of Khagrachari Hill District Parishad will be published and those responsible will be prosecuted. According to the report of the committee of inquiry formed in the case of students who were killed by pressing the school gate in Khagrachari so that there is no cover-up and the culprits are brought to justice.
It is to be noted that 2 construction workers were killed and 9 workers were injured when the roof collapsed on the front of the new building of the Hill District Council at 4 pm last Saturday (October 8). The accident occurred during the construction of the extended roof in the Zilla Parishad premises under construction. A part of the building collapsed during the roofing work of the new building of Parbatya Zilla Parishad. After the collapse of a building under construction in the hill district council, rescue operations were launched. After that the closing announcement. Last Saturday (October 8th) at 11:30 pm, Deputy Commander of Khagrachari Sadar Army Zone, Major Riyadul Islam, who led the rescue operation, announced the completion of the rescue operation.
The contractor is still missing after this tragic loss of life. At the time of the incident, 16 workers were working on the roof of the front part of the extended building of the Khagrachari hill district council at 4 pm. Around 2018, the construction work of the administrative building of Parbatya Zilla Parishad was started. It is said that 16 workers were working on the front part of the building. That is, 16 workers were working in the building under construction.
