NEWS report in The New Nation on Wednesday said the government has taken a move to evict the residents from old buildings of AGB colony in the city’s Motijheel area as a precaution to possible devastation from earthquake and such other building collapse. Low-income employees of Accountant General of Bangladesh (AGB) office are living in those buildings for several decades and the structures have already became dilapidated showing cracks on the walls. Not only the AGB colony, there are many other residential quarters in the city which are highly vulnerable to natural disasters. So any move to remove the residents is a justified one, but question arises where these people will go and who would give them shelter. Around 1,000 people are living in 84 flats of the dilapidated AGB colony buildings. The question is whether there is any government plan for their rehabilitation before asking them to leave their flats.
In a rather surprising move, the Ministry of Public Works early this week sent officials to carry out eviction of several hundred dwellers from seven AGB colony buildings. The government has also set up signboards declaring these buildings risk prone to collapsing. Some employees of the Public works Ministry also urged the dwellers over loud speakers to prepare for eviction telling them about the danger that looms ahead. In fact as we know Dhaka is the riskiest city in the world from high earthquake and the danger is bigger in view of the huge population living in the city. This is an ill-planned city with narrow lanes and poor access to city streets which will make any rescue operation highly difficult. Many century-old buildings in the old part of the city are also highly vulnerable to earthquake risks.
Insiders say eviction of residents from old dilapidated buildings must be on high agenda but where is the government plan to rehabilitate the people. Unless there is any alternative, nobody will pay heed to the move out even they risk their lives. Such move will quickly turn into political move and a matter of resistance in the streets. So the government must think of the alternatives before asking the people to vacate their flats and old buildings.
We fear time is rushing out quickly and whatever plan must be worked out, need to be worked out soon. Mere sporadic move to evict some buildings will not do. Moreover there may be ill motive at work, as many fear, to remove low paid employees to make apartments on government land for the powerful in government services.
We would like to suggest that the government, NGOs, international NGOs, large conglomerates, academician and urban planners should join hand and come up with ideas as to how a workable rehabilitation plan can be developed to move out people from old houses and make way to save life from big tremors.
