The Chairman of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Engineer Md. Riyazul Islam, has admitted that “RAJUK cannot evade responsibility for all the faulty buildings that have been constructed in Dhaka city.” He went further, saying his position as RAJUK Chairman feels “very much like standing in the dock of an accused.”
He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a mock parliament organised by Debate for Democracy on Friday (5 December) at the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (FDC) auditorium. The topic of the debate was “Responsible behaviour by building owners can reduce earthquake damage.” Engineer Riyazul Islam said RAJUK is responsible for both plan approval and supervision. He suggested that handing over the supervision responsibility to another agency would be more logical and effective. “Not just RAJUK – many government agencies have a role in preventing earthquake risks,” he added.
Referring to the recent earthquake on 21 November, he said the owner of the faulty building in Kosaituli is still untraceable, but local building owners are cooperating with RAJUK to resolve issues.The RAJUK Chairman informed that electricity meters of illegal buildings are being seized. If that does not work, cases are filed and buildings are demolished. Action is also being taken against engineers and architects who sign designs without ensuring compliance. Those who obtained multiple plots through fraud and concealment of information have been brought under the law. RAJUK is taking a tough stance against housing companies filling wetlands in Keraniganj, Bosila, Demra and other areas and constructing buildings without approval.
Presiding over the programme, Debate for Democracy Chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron said the country is highly vulnerable to earthquakes and a major disaster could strike very soon. “We have fear of earthquakes, but no awareness. The current Building Code is outdated and must be modernised immediately. Short-term and long-term roadmaps are essential to tackle earthquake damage.”
He criticised that although huge amounts of money were spent during the previous government to create awareness about earthquake risks, little was done in terms of actual preparedness. “There are flaws in all government agencies involved in earthquake-risk management. Bureaucratic complications are the biggest obstacle,” Kiron said, pointing out that almost everyone in the Department of Disaster Management is a bureaucrat – there is hardly any engineer or geologist.
Despite being under RAJUK’s jurisdiction, housing companies around Dhaka are blatantly violating the Building Code and approved designs, he alleged. “They are constructing 15- to 20-storey buildings without following any rules. Even when there are specific complaints, RAJUK is not taking legal action. Some dishonest RAJUK staff are involved in illegal construction. Strict measures are needed to stop irregularities in RAJUK. In the past, nothing moved in RAJUK without money. However, the corruption of the past cannot be rectified overnight,” Kiron remarked.
He stressed that building owners have limited capacity and the government must take the lead in earthquake preparedness. All infrastructure the government is building – roads, metro rail, flyovers, elevated expressways, gas and electricity lines – must also be earthquake-resistant.
In the mock parliament competition titled “Responsible behaviour by building owners can reduce earthquake damage”, the debaters of Shaheed Bir Uttam Lt. Anwar Girls’ School and College emerged victorious by defeating St. Joseph Higher Secondary School.
The judges were Professor Abu Muhammad Rais, journalists Mainul Alam, Masud Karim, Saidul Islam and Dr Shakila Jesmin. At the end of the competition, participating teams were awarded trophies, crests and certificates.
