Faulty buildings
A recent study by Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) revealed that as high as 90 percent of the buildings have been constructed violating the Building Construction Code 1996. Area wise statistics are alarming. About 96 percent of the buildings in city's Khilgaon and Taltala areas were constructed defying prescribed building code and designs whereas it is 92 percent in Lalmatia and Shyamoli, 96 percent in Mirpur, Kalyanpur, Bangshal as well as Nikunja. In Banani and Gulshan area it is 98 percent. Besides, an apparently 86 percent of the buildings in Uttara were constructed in an 'unauthorised' manner. It is also worth noting that among these buildings most of the commercial ones have no parking lots.
To top it all, sometime back an expert from the Bangladesh University of Science and Technology (BUET) also made the observation that in the event of an earthquake of moderate intensity most of the city's highrise buildings would collapse.
Observers and experts alike also confirm the popular belief that behind all this there exists a saga of corruption of all dimensions. Officials and employees of Rajuk lead the chain followed by construction companies including some influential people. Owners of some small size plots of 3 to 5 kathas are also to blame.
The TIB report further says, officials and employees of Rajuk alone collect in the form of bribe a sum of about Tk. 20 crore a year for approving the designs of the buildings where small size plot owners (3 to 5 kathas) have to pay Tk 15 to 30 thousand.
The situation is both alarming and dismal particularly for those who have invested their lifetime savings to live in apartments of many such highrise buildings. Admittedly there cannot be a reversal in the prevailing scenario, but we could however take firm measures to prevent recurrence of such faulty constructions.
We thus strongly recommend that all the corrupt officials and employees of Rajuk be identified and brought to justice. A similar action should also follow in the case of defaulting construction companies. Companies found guilty should be barred from conducting business for a stipulated period of time. Heavy fines could also be imposed.
Finally we urge that this matter of faulty construction of buildings all over the country be reviewed with utmost seriousness and urgency by the authorities.
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