The authorities of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) have sought a list and information from all government organizations that have granted permission or issued licences on operating restaurants and other establishments involving flammable materials.
They sought the list within the next 10 days, a top official of Rajuk told Dhaka Tribune after a meeting with its Dhaka city-based zonal officials on Tuesday.
According to the minutes of the meeting, proper lists of places such as hotels and restaurants currently operating in the entirety of Dhaka city where flammable materials are involved must be submitted to the zone-based Rajuk officials within 10 working days.
Based on the list, Rajuk will take immediate legal action against any infractions identified, focusing on adherence to approved building designs or other regulations. Rajuk will also ask government agencies involved in licence approval to take legal action.
Rajuk chief town planner Ashraful Islam told Dhaka Tribune: "As an apex planning authority body, Rajuk always works with all government and non-government organizations to build a healthy and livable metropolitan city."
Rajuk will hold an inter-ministerial meeting in this regard within seven days so that they can share their current plan and formally request the list, he added.
Way of Drive
A Rajuk official wishing to remain anonymous told Dhaka Tribune, "Rajuk is now sufficient in its manpower to continue its drive regularly to implement its orders and notices."
It is daily collecting detailed information on landowners and development companies, checking whether the buildings were constructed in adherence to the Rajuk plan, and also collecting additional information, including the engineer’s name and registration number, amongst other things.
"We are checking the extent of irregularities and violations of building plans, if there were any," said the official.
They inspect if there were adequate fire safety and fire exits in the buildings, if the staircases were of standard width, and whether the buildings were being used as per the approved plan or not, especially if residential buildings were being used as commercial ones.
They are also checking if the buildings have clearance from the Fire Service and whether Rajuk inspected them after construction. On every drive, Rajuk finds irregularities in most of the buildings.
According to Rajuk sources, over 2.2 million buildings are in the zones under Rajuk’s jurisdiction. Amongst them, 85% are one-storey buildings, while 4,000 are over 10-storeyed.
