Under-construction new DNCC market: Left abandoned for 18yrs

Construction of a six-story building beside Paris Road in Mirpur, locally known as Paris Market, began in 1996 and was erected by 2007. Since then, 18 years have passed, but no further work has been done on the structure.

The building was originally owned by the undivided Dhaka City Corporation. After the corporation was split in 2013, ownership was transferred to the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

On paper, the market is named New DNCC Market.

According to DNCC sources, construction began with plans to build a six-story market on six bighas of land. The roof and structural framework were completed, but in 2007 the city corporation halted construction, leaving walls and other finishing work unfinished.

DNCC sources said work stopped because contractors demanded additional payment. Since then, the building has remained abandoned.

The market building contains 2,363 shops. To allocate these shops, the city corporation initially collected around Tk 14 crore through three local associations, of which Tk 12.32 crore was collected during the time of the undivided Dhaka City Corporation.

A recent visit to the building revealed a Secondary Transfer Station (STS) for household waste on the west side, while some people living at the front. As a result, construction began by excluding this portion from the original design.

DNCC engineering officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said in 2017 a delegation from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology was appointed to assess the building's condition.

In 2020, Buet submitted a technical evaluation report recommending retrofitting at an estimated cost of Tk 23 crore.

Engineers explained that retrofitting involves reinforcing weakened columns, beams, or roofs with additional rods or construction materials to make them strong and usable again.

Some businesspeople who deposited money for shop allocations have died. Those still alive say they have suffered financial losses and remain trapped. Imtiaz Alam, who deposited money for a shop, told The Daily Star, "We're completely trapped after depositing money. The city corporation doesn't care about the future of the building. Even though we paid for the shops, they neither give us the shops nor refunded our money. Many of the original allottees have died. Some have grown old and become bedridden."

He said the city corporation first advertised shop allocations in 1984. Since then, senior members of his family deposited amounts ranging from two to three thousand taka. He himself does not know the full account of those payments. Most recently, he deposited Tk 90,000 for a shop.

Regarding the overall situation, DNCC Administrator Mohammad Azaz told The Daily Star, "We've decided to conduct tests through Buet to assess the current condition of the building. Once we get the results, we'll know whether retrofitting is possible. If it is, we'll quickly hand over the shops to those who were previously selected."

Meanwhile, locals say the city corporation has not maintained or supervised the building, causing it to deteriorate. After dark, the building has become a site for drug use and various criminal activities, including murders.

Local resident Zulkar Nain said, "This building has become a haunted place for us. We're afraid to even walk near it. Local youths take drugs here, muggers take shelter, and even bodies have been recovered from here. The city corporation should arrange for its maintenance and supervision."

Pallabi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shafiul Alam said, "It's true that a crime zone has developed around the building. Since taking charge here, I've arranged for regular block raids and patrols. I'm doing my best to eliminate crime from the area."