A life cut short steps away from home

Yet another life was lost in a "preventable" tragedy in Dhaka.

Just steps away from her Moghbazar Gabtala home, Dipu Sana, a 37-year-old assistant director at Bangladesh Bank, was fatally struck by a falling brick chip while returning from her Sadarghat office.

The incident occurred in front of the Fakhruddin Party Centre in the capital's Mouchak area around 7pm on Wednesday, according to police and family.

Sana died on the spot and a video clip of the incident has gone viral on social media, prompting strong reactions from the public.

The victim's husband Tarun Biswas said he was informed of her death through a phone call from Ramna police.

Dipu Sana, daughter of Tapan Kumar Sana, was hailing from Soldanga village of Paikgachha upazila in Khulna. 

She had been living with her software engineer husband Tarun Biswas and three-year-old son Nishiraj Biswas in a rented house in Gabtala area of Moghbazar, according to her uncle Swapan Kumar Sana.

According to one of her colleagues from the central bank, Sana was supposed to be promoted to deputy director rank within a few months. She joined the central bank in 2017 and has been working at the Sadarghat branch of the bank.

The victim's husband filed a murder case with Ramna Police Station.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Ramna zone Assistant Commissioner Md Salman Farsi said the brick chip did not fall from any under-construction site.

"We have analysed CCTV footage of the area. We suspect that the brick chip might have fallen either from Siddheswari Girls College or from the building that houses Fakruddin party centre or from the flyover," said the police officer. 

Police said they are trying to confirm whether the brick chip was thrown by someone or accidentally fell from someplace.

"Brutal murder"

Demanding exemplary punishment for the death, the Bangladesh Bank Officers Welfare Association in a statement said Sana's death was akin to "brutal murder."

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in a statement issued yesterday also expressed concern about the recurring incidents of pedestrians sustaining serious injuries, and even fatalities, due to falling debris from buildings. 

The commission attributed these incidents to inadequate safety measures and urged relevant authorities to prioritise their implementation.

The NHRC also called upon the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner to properly investigate the incident, identify whether anyone was responsible for it and take necessary action against them.

To prevent further accidents resulting from falling debris, the NHRC has urged the chairmen of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), Dhaka North and South authorities, to submit reports on the implementation of the Building Construction Rules, 2008. The commission specifically highlighted the importance of mandatory safety measures like canopies and nets during construction.

A copy of the NHRC statement has also been sent to the Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

Sultan Tower, a four-storey building housing the Fakhruddin Party Centre on the second floor, and the owner's storage on the fourth, stands at the site of the tragedy. The rooftop, accessible only by the owner and the restaurant manager, remains unused, with some stones and discarded furniture scattered on the open space.

The party centre's manager, Reaz Ahmed, told TBS, "At the time of the incident, we were at our office. We can confirm that no brick chip fell from our roof. But it might have fallen from any other building."

A similar incident occurred in June last year, killing another individual. 

On 5 June 2023, Al Amin, 31, succumbed to injuries sustained after a brick fell from a building under construction in Pallabi's Baraintek area. A case was also filed over the incident.

There must have been negligence, said colleagues

After the incident, Ramna police recovered Sana's body and sent it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. 

News of her passing reached colleagues quickly, and many gathered at the hospital to pay their final respects.

Among those present was Golam Mostofa Srabon, a colleague of Sana and acting general secretary of the Bangladesh Bank Officers Welfare Association. 

He said, "We demand a thorough and transparent investigation to identify those responsible for this tragedy and bring them to justice."

"There must have been negligence involved in this accident. We, as citizens, deserve to walk the streets safely. Those responsible for this incident must be held accountable," Srabon added.

Sana's friend Mahabub Alam said, "This is unacceptable. She was hit by a brick on her way home. I will call it murder. I want justice for this. We all walk on Dhaka streets and any one of us could have died similarly.