Whereas Rajuk should be more proactive in shutting down unsafe buildings, demolishing them as necessary, and holding owners accountable, instead it has been dragging its feet, citing lack of manpower as a primary cause behind its inaction.
Rajuk claims to have put together a probe committee, made a list of over 300 vulnerable structures between 2008 and 2010, and even a three-member mobile court to ensure swift action, but has failed to follow up these steps.
In fact, Rajuk should have used the ensuing years, after creating the list, to hire and train more employees. This would have done much to cover their manpower shortage.
In case anyone is under the misconception that Rajuk has no power aside from approving building designs and making lists of unsafe buildings, that claim holds false.
As a regulating organisation, Rajuk has the authority to evict inhabitants from illegally built and unsafe structures, demolish the buildings, and hold the owners responsible.
Given the Rana Plaza collapse, given that over 5,000 buildings have been identified as being built in violation of the National Building Code, and given that cracks continue to appear on buildings across the nation, it is imperative for Rajuk to carry out its responsibilities, as these cracks are red flags of more collapses to come.
It truly seems as if Rajuk is waiting for a calamity to strike before being bothered to take action. This is unacceptable, when lives are at stake.