Collapsed buildings

Photo: STAR

In our capital city there were many incidents of building collapse, killing and injuring people and property loss. The last one and the most ridiculous is a just finished three-storied building in a jheel at Norda in the capital's Dakkhinkhan area. It was a miracle that the collapsed building toppled on a tin-shed house but none was injured or missing. But what is seen from the photograph of the collapsed building is really unbelievable and tells the sadly poor management of the concerned authority.
No one can construct a building overnight. It takes months and years to construct a multi-storied building. Even a non-technical man having normal sense will understand that this three-storied building at Norda did not follow any building code or maintain minimum safety requirements. In low-lying areas tin-shed houses are seen to be built on such concrete pillars. But how such a concrete structure was built in a capital city, risking the life and property of not only the owner of the said building but also others in and around that building is not understood. This shows there is none to look after such unsafe acts of some careless people.
In an editorial The Daily Star has suggested Rajuk to immediately set up mobile teams of civil engineers, architects, soil scientists and other relevant experts and start investigating such vulnerable structures and take on the spot legal actions.
In addition, we would suggest Rajuk to open a complain centre and invite complains or information regarding apparently illegal and risky constructions, even over telephone. The identity of the caller or complainer should not be disclosed and Rajuk may also reward such caller or informer in case of true report. Of course, this needs general awareness of the people that can be done through media.