Neglected repairs and structural flaws blamed for deadly Dhaka boundary wall collapse
Photo Collected
The collapse of a structurally unsound perimeter wall at Dhaka’s Mirpur College, which claimed three lives and left nine others injured on Tuesday, was a preventable tragedy rooted in a decade of administrative negligence and engineering defects. The incident occurred when a section of the wall toppled onto a crowd of people waiting in line for subsidized food commodities distributed via a government open-market sale (OMS) program.
According to college authorities, the fatal flaw dates back to 2014, when the boundary wall was haphazardly modified. Originally, the structure consisted of a low three-to-four-foot brick base topped with iron grilles. Under the tenure of the then-principal, the grilles were removed and replaced with additional brickwork to increase height, yet the expansion was completed without the essential support of reinforced concrete pillars. This structural deficiency left the wall dangerously unstable for nearly ten years.
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Official records reveal that the Education Engineering Department (EED) approved a 20 lakh taka allocation in 2022 to renovate the wall and construct a new gate. Despite this funding, the project remained stalled for four years. While current college administrators argue that timely intervention would have averted the disaster, local EED officials claim the initial funds were earmarked primarily for the main gate. Executive Engineer Manzurul Alam Sharif noted that the department was in the process of consolidating multiple budget allocations to finalize construction when the collapse occurred.
The victims, Nasima Begum, Md. Firoz, and Beauty Begum, succumbed to their injuries either at the scene or during subsequent medical treatment. As of Wednesday, nine others remained hospitalized at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedic Rehabilitation. Mirpur Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Hafizur Rahman confirmed that while the injured are now in stable condition, no formal legal case had been filed as of Wednesday night.
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The administration of Mirpur College has faced significant internal turmoil, including corruption allegations against the principal who oversaw the 2014 modifications. That individual was dismissed in 2021 after investigations substantiated claims of embezzlement. Following Tuesday’s accident, the EED has abandoned plans for simple repairs. Officials now intend to demolish the remaining sections of the perimeter wall entirely, citing a preliminary assessment that deemed the entire structure a safety hazard. Temporary fencing has since been erected at the site to secure the area.
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