bdnews24.com :
The demolition of the BGMEA Bhaban constructed illegally on a water body at Hatirjheel in Dhaka has hit a snag days before the work is scheduled to begin.
Contractor Four Star Enterprise has threatened to withdraw alleging valuable building materials were removed in breach of conditions.
Earlier, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, or RAJUK, took control of the building and sealed it off in accordance with a Supreme Court order.
Ahead of the start of demolition work, the BGMEA authorities started removing goods from the building on Oct 21.
The Four Star Enterprise wrote to the RAJUK chairman on Oct 22 objecting to the removal of goods.
“BGMEA workers are taking away the elevators, air conditioner compressors, sub-station panel boards, copper wires and other valuable goods from the building in the presence of the RAJUK officials,” reads the letter.
The company urged the RAJUK to take steps to ensure that the goods are not removed. “But the RAJUK is yet to take any step,” said
Md Nasrullah Khan Rashed, the managing director of Four Star, threatening to pull out of the task.
“We went to meet RAJUK chairman on Wednesday and Thursday. He didn’t meet. Then, we spoke to the project director.”
Under the terms of the tender, the contracting company will not receive any money for the demolition of the building. After demolishing the building and two basements, they will sell the used goods and take away their expenses and profits.
Rashed said he would try to meet the RAJUK chairman on Monday. “We’ll tell the chairman to give back security money and make a new assessment, excluding all the goods taken away from the building. Otherwise we will move the court.”
The company deposited Tk 1.6 million as the security money to the RAJUK.
When contacted, RAJUK’s Chief Engineer and Hatirjheel project director ASM Raihanul Ferdous said he was busy and could not speak.
Before the auction, the RAJUK estimated that the goods at BGMEA building was worth Tk 58.8 million.
The estimate was based on the building’s rods, bricks, outer glass, glass frames, MS pipes, CI sheets, steel angles, boundary grills, electric motors, generators, air-cooling compressors, elevators, chairs, false ceilings, sanitary products and fire-exit doors.
The BGMEA building was constructed without the permission of the housing and public works ministry and defying the rules. The construction was finished in 2006.
The High Court issued an order in 2011 to demolish it, describing the BGMEA building as a “tumour” in the middle of Hatirjheel’s canal. The top court also upheld the HC order.
The garment exporters took a long time to demolish the building after the Supreme Court order. The final deadline ended on Apr 12.
The demolition of the BGMEA Bhaban constructed illegally on a water body at Hatirjheel in Dhaka has hit a snag days before the work is scheduled to begin.
Contractor Four Star Enterprise has threatened to withdraw alleging valuable building materials were removed in breach of conditions.
Earlier, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, or RAJUK, took control of the building and sealed it off in accordance with a Supreme Court order.
Ahead of the start of demolition work, the BGMEA authorities started removing goods from the building on Oct 21.
The Four Star Enterprise wrote to the RAJUK chairman on Oct 22 objecting to the removal of goods.
“BGMEA workers are taking away the elevators, air conditioner compressors, sub-station panel boards, copper wires and other valuable goods from the building in the presence of the RAJUK officials,” reads the letter.
The company urged the RAJUK to take steps to ensure that the goods are not removed. “But the RAJUK is yet to take any step,” said
Md Nasrullah Khan Rashed, the managing director of Four Star, threatening to pull out of the task.
“We went to meet RAJUK chairman on Wednesday and Thursday. He didn’t meet. Then, we spoke to the project director.”
Under the terms of the tender, the contracting company will not receive any money for the demolition of the building. After demolishing the building and two basements, they will sell the used goods and take away their expenses and profits.
Rashed said he would try to meet the RAJUK chairman on Monday. “We’ll tell the chairman to give back security money and make a new assessment, excluding all the goods taken away from the building. Otherwise we will move the court.”
The company deposited Tk 1.6 million as the security money to the RAJUK.
When contacted, RAJUK’s Chief Engineer and Hatirjheel project director ASM Raihanul Ferdous said he was busy and could not speak.
Before the auction, the RAJUK estimated that the goods at BGMEA building was worth Tk 58.8 million.
The estimate was based on the building’s rods, bricks, outer glass, glass frames, MS pipes, CI sheets, steel angles, boundary grills, electric motors, generators, air-cooling compressors, elevators, chairs, false ceilings, sanitary products and fire-exit doors.
The BGMEA building was constructed without the permission of the housing and public works ministry and defying the rules. The construction was finished in 2006.
The High Court issued an order in 2011 to demolish it, describing the BGMEA building as a “tumour” in the middle of Hatirjheel’s canal. The top court also upheld the HC order.
The garment exporters took a long time to demolish the building after the Supreme Court order. The final deadline ended on Apr 12.
