Residents vacate Lalbagh building as it tilts

A five-storey residential building near Lalbagh Fort in the capital tilted yesterday.

The building leaned towards an adjacent building on Jagannath Shah Road around 2:00pm, creating panic among its residents and those of neighbouring buildings, Subash Kumar Paul, officer-in-charge of Lalbagh Police Station, told The Daily Star.

Authorities disconnecting power connection to the building. Photo: Amran Hossain

Police and a unit of fire fighters rushed to the spot, the OC said. The residents of the building have been asked to evacuate it immediately.

Ashish Kumar Saha, authorised officer (zone-5) of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), said it seems that the building has tilted, but “opinions of experts are needed for taking a final decision in this regard.”

Residents evacuating the building. Photo: Amran Hossain

“We have evacuated and locked the building,” he said. They will issue a letter to its owner so that he submits a report after taking opinions of an expert, he added.

Nasreen Sultana, inspector of Lalbagh fire station who led the team of fire service, said no crack has developed in the building but it tilted around 3 inches.

She said they did not find Haji Shawkat, owner of the building, at the site.

The residents of the top floors of the building evacuated in panic, she added.

“We have asked the building residents not to use the building before taking any approval from Rajuk engineers,” she said.