Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has said that the building code is being flagrantly violated in the construction of buildings, and there is negligence in supervision.
He said this to reporters after inspecting the scene on Bailey Road in the capital at around 3:30pm on Friday.
Taposh said: “Various designs are being approved but those designs are not complying with building regulations. Secondly, although the design is correct in many cases, when the building is being constructed, irregularities are being done.
“When a tragedy happens, everyone pays attention.In the case of building construction, everyone, from the engineer to the architect and owner, must take that obligation.” he said.
“We have said that if the permission of the city corporation is made mandatory before construction of the building, then we are ready to supervise it. Because we are accountable to the people, other authorities are not,” he added.
Mayor said: “We want to ensure protection by using all the powers of the City Corporation, including mobile courts. If given that opportunity, we will definitely do it.
"There were irregularities during the construction of the fire-damaged building. Any building above five floors shall have two staircases. This building did not have that. Stairs are supposed to be wide but only one staircase in this building is not wide. Apart from this, the building has been made residential without permission even after taking permission for commercial work,” he added.
At least 46 people were killed, and over 20 others sustained severe injuries by a devastating fire on Thursday night.
Fire fighters rescued 70 people, including 42 in unconscious state, from the rooftop and different floors of the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage.
The fire broke out at around 9:45pm.
Most of the people died as they jumped off the building or from burns or suffocation, said fire fighters who brought the fire under control around 12:30am.
Fire officials say the blaze spread fast due to the presence of gas cylinders on several floors in the restaurant kitchens. People could not leave the building due to smoke in the staircase.