GULSHAN Shopping Centre, a six-storied market at Gulshan South Commercial Area in the city’s diplomatic enclave poses a high risk of collapse at any time due to faulty construction. RAJUK, the lone authority to supervise the defective structures in the city, fined the owner Tk 10 lakh on February 29 in 2016 for constructing the building without proper design and approval; but it has not been reconstructed or demolished. The RAJUK mobile court also had taken a written bond from the owner, which stated that the unauthorized structure would be demolished within fifteen days. Currently, local residents of Gulshan-1 fear major causalities due to possible structural accidents.
On April 8 this year, a fire occurred in the building at mid night which was doused by the fire-fighters after a frantic effort of several hours as there was no firefighting system. Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence said, ‘the building was not constructed in line with the Article 3 of Building Construction Code, and so, there is always a risk of huge casualty due to fire’. He warned the building owner about taking stern action if the illegal structure was not bulldozed immediately.
Quoting RAJUK officials, a local newspaper reported that, one Fazlur Rahman got lease of the Plots No: 37, 41 and 43 for 99 years from RAJUK on November 19, 1975 in the name of Messer’s Bani Chitra Limited. Besides, the same person also got lease of another Plot No: 14 for 99 years in the name of Messers. Chalachitra Limited. The lease holder later constructed a cinema hall in the Plots. When the cinema hall was closed, he turned the building into a shopping complex apparently without taking approval from the authorities concerned. Now, about 132 shop owners are paying rent to Fayezur Rahman, the son and only successor of Fazlur Rahman, the reports said.
We are highly surprised as to why RAJUK is not taking any initiative on its own to bulldoze the illegal structure though more than two years have elapsed after it fined the owner? Why it is depending on the owner? The owner Fazlur Rahman alleged that he could not take any step due to tremendous obstacles created by the shop owners and some dishonest government officials who are getting patronization from some political leaders. Not only that, RAJUK also cut off the electricity and WASA line of the building but the connections were restored after a few days allegedly with the help of some DESCO and WASA officials.
RAJUK is the legitimate authority to prepare land use plan and take care of plan implementation to control the development and manage the growth of capital city. We think, it was RAJUK’s responsibility to take further initiatives in this regard. If the building situated at Gulshan Diplomatic Zone collapses, it will tarnish the image of the government. Not only this one, there are several illegal structures in city those were built without RAJUK approval. So, immediate action is necessary.
