Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed to take action against those responsible for the Uttara crane accident.

The premier gave the direction while attending a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday (16 August).

"The project director and consultants can't avoid responsibility," PM Hasina said.

During a press briefing after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said, "The Prime Minister is shocked by the Uttara incident."

"Everyone from the project manager to the contractor should be brought under investigation. Those responsible must be punished," the planning minister quoted the PM saying. 

Five people including two children were crushed to death after a 50-60 tonne girder of Bus Rapid Transit-3 (BRT) Elevated Expressway fell on a car at Uttara's Jasimuddin road on Monday (15 August).

Two passengers of the car – a newly married couple Rezaul Karim Hridoy, 26 and Riya Akter, 19 – were rescued, but the rest of the passengers – Jharna Akter, 27, her two children Zakaria, 4, and Jannat, 6, and Hridoy's father Ayub Hossain Rubel, 55, and his mother-in-law Fahima Akter, 38, died on the spot.

A case has been filed against the Chinese contractor for the BRT Elevated Expressway. 

Afran Mondal Babu, the brother of deceased Fahima Akhtar and Jharna Akhtar, filed the case against China Gezhouba (Group) Corporation (CGGC) under sections 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304 (causing death by negligence) of the Penal Code with Uttara West police station. 

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Md Atiqul Islam on Tuesday suspended the construction works of the BRT Elevated Expressway. The DNCC mayor made the announcement during his visit to the spot of the incident at Uttara's Jasimuddin road.

The project to create separate lanes for specialised buses across an area of ​​about 20km from Gazipur to the airport is being implemented by three government agencies – the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the Bangladesh Bridge Authority and the Local Government Engineering Department. Three project directors are in charge of coordinating the work of the three agencies.

The project work that started towards the end of 2012 as part of the plan to finish the construction of the BRT by 2016 has not been completed by one-third in 10 years. During this time, both the project completion tenure and cost have doubled.

Due to slow progress, the revised cost of the project has been estimated at Tk4,268.32 crore after a 109% or Tk2,228.48 crore hike from the initial estimation of Tk2,039.8489 crore. Three donor agencies, including the ADB, are providing Tk2,842.51 crore in loans for the project.