Accident occurs as sixth-floor cornice breaks off; local concerns raised over poor construction quality and safety measures

Jessore, July 1 — A tragic accident occurred around noon on Tuesday at an under-construction eight-story building named Iqbal Manzil in the Circuit House area of Jessore city, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, including two engineers.

The victims have been identified as Azizur Rahman, a 35-year-old engineer from Dinajpur, Mizanur Rahman Mizan, a 40-year-old engineer from Kushtia, and Nuru Mia, 45, from Chapainawabganj, who was working as a subcontractor.

According to police and eyewitness accounts, the three were standing on a cornice on the sixth floor of the building when the structure suddenly collapsed, causing them to fall to the ground. Azizur Rahman and Mizanur Rahman were pronounced dead on the spot. Nuru Mia was critically injured and taken to Jessore 250-bed General Hospital, where doctors declared him dead shortly after arrival.

A worker named Mujibur Rahman stated that they had been working on the western side of the building since morning when the cornice gave way abruptly, leading to the fall of the three men.

Dr. Shakilul Islam, an emergency department physician at Jessore General Hospital, confirmed that two died immediately at the site and one more succumbed to injuries after being admitted. The cause of death was primarily severe head trauma and excessive bleeding.

Residents of the Circuit House area, including Tamal Ahmed, convener of the district Jubo Dal, expressed concern that while construction on one side of the sixth floor was nearly completed, work was still ongoing on the western edge. It was this section’s cornice that collapsed. Ahmed alleged that faulty design, use of substandard construction materials, and lack of adequate safety measures had rendered the building hazardous.

Local residents and workers also blamed the poor quality of materials used in construction as a major factor contributing to the accident.

Bablu Rahman, manager of Building for Future Limited—the company responsible for the project—stated that construction began in 2010. He added that an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the incident.

Abul Hasnat, officer-in-charge of Jessore Kotwali Police Station, confirmed that police and fire service teams have inspected the site. The bodies have been kept in the morgue of Jessore General Hospital pending further investigation. He assured that the matter is being thoroughly investigated.

This tragic event has raised serious questions about construction safety standards and regulatory oversight in the area, as well as the responsibility of contractors to ensure worker and public safety during ongoing building projects.

Authorities are expected to expedite the inquiry to prevent similar incidents in the future and hold responsible parties accountable.