Rajuk finds only 35 highly risky buildings

The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, in its recent field investigation, found only 35 ‘highly risky’ buildings in the capital.

Rajuk authorised officers prepared the list of the ‘highly risky’ buildings after visiting the sites of each of 321 building the city development agency had earlier placed on the list of risky buildings and checking their latest status, Rajuk officials said.

Experts, however, doubted the finding.

During the field visits, Rajuk authorised officers found that of the 321 risky buildings 120 were ‘risky’, 25 were demolished by their owners, 28 were demolished and new building replaced them.

They, however, could not find out the location of 13 of the 321 buildings and observed that the rest 100 needed further investigation by experts.

In 2010, Rajuk authorised officers prepared the list of 321 risky buildings, which included dilapidated old houses and structures built without approved designs.

Dhaka University earth and environmental sciences faculty dean ASM Maksud Kamal rejected Rajuk’s latest claim saying that the number of highly risky buildings in the capital must be much higher than 35.

Maksud said that as a government designated agency, Rajuk could not make such a contradictory list of risky buildings by the same staff only in six years.

The housing and public works ministry in July 2016 formed an 11-member committee headed by Rajuk member for development control Md Asmaul Hossain to submit a report on the 321 buildings with their latest status by August 19, 2016.