Siddikbazar Building: 3 designs seized, only 1 had approval

The owner of the ill-fated seven-storey building in Siddikbazar constructed its basement and the two top floors without approval from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, detectives have said.

Tuesday's explosion that claimed at least 22 lives and left 100 injured took place in that unapproved basement, they added.

There was approval for three shops on the ground floor and flats on the remaining four, detective branch officers said yesterday.

But the owner of the building, known as Queen Sanitary Market, rented out the basement, ground floor and first floor to be used as sanitaryware shops. Another floor was used as office space and the rest as residential units. 

"We seized three designs for construction of the building from the owner. Only one was approved by Rajuk," Mashiur Rahman, DB deputy commissioner (Lalbagh), told The Daily Star yesterday.

In 1983, the owner, Mohammad Rezaur Rahman, who died in 2011, got the layout for the five-story building approved by the Rajuk, he said, adding that that plan had no provision for a basement.

The first layout plan for a two-storey building without a basement was made in 1959. It shows Rezaur's mother Rizia Rahman as the owner.

After Rezaur's death, his three sons, two daughters and wife became the owners. Detectives on Thursday arrested Razaur's two sons, Wahidur Rahman, 46, and Matiur Rahman, 36.

After arresting the Rahman brothers, officers said Rajuk in 1992 approved Rezaur's plan for a 10-storey building. DC Mashiur yesterday said Rezaur's two sons gave that information.

Contacted, Tonmoy Das, member (development and control) of Rajuk, said officials were still looking for any document on the building.

"We found a registry book which only shows an application for approval for a design…," he said.

The detectives informed Rajuk about the seizure of three designs. "We engaged a team and hope to find the documents soon."

CASE FILED OVER NEGLIGENCE

In a case filed on Thursday night, police said the owner and other users were using the basement and ground floor illegally to make money. Taking advantage of the greed and nonchalance of some officers and employees of the authorities concerned, the owner did the unapproved construction work and got the licence and gas, electricity and sewer connections.

It has been primarily proven that what the building owner did were crimes that ended up costing so many lives and causing damage to properties, read the complaint filed by Sub-inspector Palash Saha with Bangshal Police Station.

According to primary findings, the building was not built as per the building code, it added.

Construction material was stored and sold in the illegally constructed basement.

"The greedy building owner and others were using the illegal basement… and the ground floor without solving the gas leakage issues," it said.

Mujibur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Bangshal Police Station, said the case was filed without naming anyone.

WHAT WAS IN THE BASEMENT?

It was rented by Bangladesh Sanitary. The owner of the shop enclosed the entire 1,800-square-foot space with glass, leaving no opening for air to pass. Two large ACs installed there have not been serviced since 2010, police said earlier.

Abdul Motaleb Mintu, the owner of the shop, was also arrested on Thursday.

Before Bangladesh Sanitary rented the basement, it was used as the kitchen of a restaurant on the ground floor. After the restaurant ceased to exist, the gas pipe was plugged.

An expert of the Bomb Disposal team of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of police yesterday said the severity of the explosion and circumstantial evidence suggested that a mere spark caused it because gas was trapped in the basement.