The whole nation was glued to television to watch the rescue operation of Jihad, a three and a half year old boy, who fell into an abandoned water pipe of a deep tube well and died. Unfortunately this is a lesson for the whole nation particularly the residents of metro Dhaka. We may call it carelessness, indifference, or whatever, but the reality is that Jihad could not be rescued alive.
In Dhaka city hundreds of manhole remain uncovered, while many are either broken or displaced. There is an organised gang who steal these covers and sell those to iron and engineering works. A new type of fabricated steel embedded concrete manhole covers or similar other types should be improvised which have practically no resale value. Many of the footpath slabs are not in place or broken exposing waist deep holes. Footpaths are occupied by vendors and hawkers.
It is time to enact laws with provision to pay adequate compensation if anybody is injured, crippled or killed by accidents occurring due to negligence of public utility services, roads authority or railways, and exemplary punishment for the people responsible. Finally, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the parents of late Jihad.
Mahmud Ali
New Eskaton Road, Dhaka
Accidents and compensation
FE Team | Published: January 10, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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