Onlookers crowd the closed-off street in Motijheel yesterday after the under-construction building City Centre developed large cracks.Photo: STAR

The under construction 37-storey City Centre at Motijheel has developed cracks in its walls, prompting police yesterday to evacuate people who live or work in the building and the adjacent area.
The cracks in a front wall were first noticed about one and a half months ago. Suddenly, they started widening yesterday afternoon, setting off panic in the commercial neighbourhood. Besides, a side wall on the ground floor curved in precariously, security guards and construction workers told The Daily Star.
Later, police marked the site with yellow tape and closed off the road between Shapla Chattar (roundabout) and Dainik Bangla Intersection as precaution.
Belhasa Accom JV Limited is developing the high-rise designed to be an office block-cum-multi-storey car park on a Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) land. It is a joint venture involving Orion Group, which is owned by Obaidul Karim, a businessman infamous for scam.
The construction is scheduled for completion by next month. So far, 28 storeys have been built and a couple of floors rented out to different companies including HSBC, Grameenphone and Standard Chartered Bank.
Officials of Belhasa Accom described the cracks as 'ordinary ones' and 'not at all risky'.
"Those are in the makeshift walls and won't affect the main structure," said AKM Nurul Islam, a project director from the realtor.
A huge crowd of onlookers gathered at the site as police and firemen struggled to make them move away. Earlier, offices housed in City Centre and neighbouring buildings were evacuated.
In addition to providing office space, the skyscraper is planned to have a convention centre, a restaurant, a business lounge and a gymnasium. Ten of its floors would be dedicated to car parking while a helipad built on the rooftop.
Asked, the Belhasa project director could not explain what caused the walls to develop chinks.
Locals alleged that he had directed the construction workers to hammer onto the affected parts of the walls to cover up the cracks.
"Yes, I had given them the direction and it was not risky for the structure," said Nurul Islam. "The building will be able to withstand even a 240-kilometre-an-hour tornado and an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter Scale," he observed.
Workers of the Belhasa were trying to create barrier so that newsmen could not enter the building and take picture.
DCC Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Nayeem Ahmed and DCC Chief Engineer Colonel Asfaqul Islam visited the site.
"I cannot say anything before construction and weight experts examine the cracks," said Ashfaq.
The DMP commissioner said the law enforcers have been directed to keep 280 feet-radius around the building sealed off.
On hearing the news, those who have purchased office space in the building rushed to the spot. They were quite anxious about the developments. "We have paid Tk 44 lakh in advance for 1,700 square-feet on the 26th floor," said Abul Hashem, an employee from Rajanigandha Shipping.
"I don't know what's awaiting us," he added.