Most buildings in Dhaka faulty

Most of the buildings in Dhaka city did not follow the national building code during construction due to a poor enforcement of laws, analysts said yesterday.
The deviation may cause such buildings to collapse anytime, they warned.
Builders generally avoid complying with the code mainly due to greed and ignorance of the relevant rules, they said.
The analysts also urged the government to immediately form a regulatory authority to ensure the implementation of the building code.
Most apartment owners do not take 'building occupancy certificate' though it is mandatory, said Jamilur Reza Choudhury, vice chancellor of University of Asia Pacific.
An occupancy certificate ensures that the construction was in compliance with building codes and other laws, and the building is suitable for occupancy.
“Only 40 buildings in Dhaka have occupancy certificates. This means the rest are illegal,” he said at a discussion on "building collapse and national building code".
Mukto Akash, a monthly real estate magazine, organised the discussion in association with the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB); Institute of Architects Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Institute of Planners, at the IEB Council Hall in Dhaka.
The country can solve 90 percent problems of building construction and design if the building code is implemented properly, Abu Sadeque, director of Housing and Building Research Institute, said.
Most builders do not carry out a proper soil test to save money though it is a basic requirement, said M Shamim Z Bosunia, president of the IEB.
It takes around Tk 3 lakh to do soil test for a project worth Tk 25 crore, he said.
Although most buildings in the city are in a vulnerable stage, these structures can still be re-strengthened applying modern technologies, Bosunia said.
Mubasshar Hussain, president of Institute of Architects Bangladesh, blamed the collapse of Rana Plaza in Savar on ignorance, greed and muscle power.
The existing laws are enough to ensure the construction of safe buildings; the main problem lies in the implementation, said Md Nurul Huda, chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha.
Due to a lack of awareness, many land or plot owners, even the educated ones, go to masons for building construction, instead of hiring engineers, Huda said.
Abdullah Abu Sayeed, founding president of Bishwa Sahitya Kendra, Iqbal Habib, joint secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, Golam Rahman, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, and Md Abdul Awal, managing director of Structural Engineers Ltd, also spoke.