THE inaction on part of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipokkho and the Dhaka South City Corporation in addressing the concerns of the shareholders of the Aminbagh Cooperative Market Society Limited yet again demonstrates the negligent attitude towards building and fire safety issues in Dhaka. On December 20, 2023, the cooperative submitted a letter to the city development authorities, drawing attention to the structural instability of a market, a mosque, and a madrassah under their ownership and management. They sent a similar letter to the city corporation on March 14, 2024. The letters clearly stated that parts of the buildings are constructed without the approval of the authorities concerned, and the market is so vulnerable that it could barely take the load of 30鈥�40 people at once. Parts of the market are also used as stores for chemicals. The shareholders of the cooperative feared that an earthquake or fire could claim many lives and expressed their sheer frustration at the inaction of the authorities mandated to ensure building and fire safety. The city development authority, when asked about its inaction, assured that they would arrange an immediate inspection but failed to explain the months-long delay. The city corporation, meanwhile, refused to explain their failure.聽
The insincerity of the city authorities and the Rajuk is demonstrated in the way all authorities concerned, including the fire safety department, trade blame to justify their failure after each fire incident or building collapse. After the devastating fire at Bangabazar and Krishi markets in 2023, the authorities claimed that the buildings were identified as 鈥榬isky鈥� and that they had issued letters informing them of the associated risk, which the businesses chose to ignore. But they failed even when owners proactively approached and demanded an intervention, as demonstrated in the letters of the Aminbagh Cooperative. Shockingly, the history of Rajuk鈥檚 indifference and blame-game is much longer. Its probe report into the recent fire at the Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall in Dhaka passed the blame on the city corporation, saying that they issued trade licenses without ensuring an occupancy certificate from the Rajuk. After the fire at FR Tower in 2019, it was revealed that the building had no permission for its top four floors, and there was no fire-protected staircase in the 22-storey building that housed dozens of offices. The building was constructed in deviation from the approved plan, but Rajuk turned a blind eye. Therefore, the allegation that, with speed money, Rajuk kept silent and allowed gross violations of building codes to continue is not unfounded.
It is high time that the government took the issue of building and fire safety in urban areas seriously and addressed enforcement failures. In doing so, the authorities must address the concerns of the Aminbagh Cooperative, initiate a probe into the reported inaction and ensure that allegations of corruption in Rajuk are dealt with immediately.
