Begunbari building collapse

THE collapse of a five-storey building at Begunbari in the Tejgaon area of the city on the nearby tin-shed houses leading to the death of some 20 people is a glaring instance of callousness on the part of those involved in the construction, supervision and maintenance of that building. From the way the five-storied structure fell down, it appears there was no proper plan for the building, nor was any rule or code followed during its construction. And it is also patently clear that the workmanship and engineering as well as the materials that went into the making of that house were also of very poor quality.
Clearly, the owner as well as the designer, engineer and contractor were in cahoots with one another in constructing the structure with such a fragile foundation so much so that it fell like a sawn-down tree. One wonders, how could the owner of that house rent out its flats to tenants knowing fully well that with its tottering foundation and rickety structure the building may cave in any time endangering the lives of its occupants as well as those of the houses adjacent to it!
. All those involved in the construction and owning of the building, therefore, deserve to be punished not only for flouting building rules, but also for the trail of deaths and injuries that the collapsed building has left in its wake.
Obviously, the Begunbari case is not the first of its kind, as we know of other instances of similar building collapse in the past at Tejgaon, Savar and in the older part of the city. The older part of the city in particular deserves special attention, especially for its age-old buildings in dilapidated conditions, many of which crumbled down in the past.
This calls into question the role of Rajdhanu Unnayan Kartripokkho (Rajuk) in ensuring that proper building rules and codes are followed by builders, contractors and owners of the buildings in the city. Had the Rajuk authorities properly supervised and monitored the Begunbari building during all the phases of its construction and ensured strict observance of the rules by all concerned, then the tragedy could have been avoided. And it gives one the jitters to think how many more such buildings are awaiting similar fate in the near future!
The authorities in question should therefore not waste any more time in forming a probe body and list all such buildings with vulnerable foundations and structures and arrange for their demolition or reinforcement where feasible before they may act out more tragedies like in the Begunbari case.