The Chittagong district administration on Friday formed a seven-member committee to investigate the landslide incident in the port city's Akbarshah.
The probe committee was formed by making Chittagong District Administration's Additional District Magistrate Rakib Hasan the convener.
The probe committee has been directed to submit its report within five working days, said Md Towhidul Islam, nejarat deputy collector (NDC) of Chittagong district administration.
Other members of the probe committee include the assistant commissioner (Lands) of Kattali Circle, representatives from Chittagong City Corporation, CDA, Department of Environment, Fire Service and Civil Defence and officer-in-charge of Akbarshah police station.
Meanwhile, Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Abul Bashar Mohammed Fakhruzzaman visited the scene in the evening.
"The mountains were being illegally razed here. A new road was being constructed. We found that the work was being carried out by Chittagong City Corporation. Last February, the district administration launched a raid here. We issued directions to halt hill cutting. However, in defiance of the directive, the hill cutting was resumed,” he told the media.
Chittagong City Corporation Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury acknowledged the road's construction and said: "There is a housing society here at the foot of the hill. The members of that society were cutting the hill, transporting soil, and placing it at the foot of the hill.
“The road that runs through the society is being built at the cost of Tk2.68 crore, which is being funded by ADB,” said Rezaul Karim Chowdhury.
“As various parts of the hill collapse here every year during the rainy season, the movement of people in this area almost comes to a stop,” he said.
“We are working on the road for this. At the same time, a guide wall is being built to avoid landslides. While doing so, the soil that the housing society residents had piled at the foot of the hill fell on the workers as they were working. That was the main incident,” he added.
Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury announced the formation of a committee to investigate why proper security measures were not implemented during the barrier wall's construction.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence on Friday recovered the body of a man, who was killed in the landslide.
The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Khoka, 45.
After getting the information about the landslide, the fire service and the Akbarshah police station are conducting rescue operations.
