The Bihari camp in the city’s Mirpur area is in poor condition and vulnerable to collapse.
Parts of all Wapda Bihari camp buildings have broken down. Many of the roofs, floors, pillars and walls of the buildings have become rundown, with cracks everywhere and trees growing on the rear walls of every building. A few floors have balconies with no railings surrounding them, putting the children who play in those areas in particular at risk of an accident.
A number of floors and balconies of building number four collapsed, and the remaining portions are unlikely to survive for long. Residents made balconies of their own with wood and bamboo, but these have proved inadequate against heavy rain.
There are 10 dilapidated buildings in sections 10 and 11 of Mirpur.
The buildings were originally constructed for the use of former Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) employees. Later, they became home to the Bihari community.
The Biharis first moved into the buildings in 1971 when the International Committee of Red Cross was using them. After the Liberation War, the buildings were offered to the community, who have inhabited them ever since.
Mohammad Shamim, a resident of Wapda building four, told the Dhaka Tribune: “We have been living in the building from 1971. Now the building is run-down. It may collapse at any time. On Thursday, a part of the roof fell.
“We are compelled tolive inthe vulnerable building as we have nowhere to go. The government assured us that it would build us high rises. A long time went by, but there’s no sign of them taking any steps.”
Jamila Khatun, resident of building two, said leaders of different political parties, ministers, lawmakers and local ward commissioners (now councilors) have visited the camp several times and promised help.
“In the run-up to elections particularly, leaders approach us over and over again for the sake of votes, but after that, they forget us,” she said.
One of the Bihari community’s leaders, Shafi Mohammad, who lives in the same building, told the Dhaka Tribune, “We have been living here since 1971. Forty-two years have passed since independence, but we got no help from the government.
"Building two is very risky. It won’t even survive a mild earthquake,” he said, adding that every building in the colony is in bad shape and vibrates when anyone moves.
Shafi Mohammad claimed that some residents have been injured from the collapse of building parts.
The situation in Geneva Camp at Mohammadpur is similarly gloomy. None of the buildings there were constructed with the planning or permission of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (Rajuk).
Rajuk made a list of risky buildings of the capital in 2008 and in 2010. According to the list, there are 321 rickety buildings in the city that might collapse at any time.
The Wapda buildings and those in the Geneva camp are included in the list, but Rajuk has yet to take any action in the two years.
Md Iqbal Hossain, organising secretary of Stranded Pakistanis General Repatriation Committee, told the Dhaka Tribune: “All Wapda buildings in Mirpur and in Geneva camp are very risky and they may break down anytime.”
The present government promised the Bihari community some 15-story buildings, but no initiatives have been taken.
“We are still hopeful that the government will keep its promise to us,” he said.
Dhaka district Deputy Commissioner Sheikh Yusuf Harun said the matter lay with the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, but the ministry has entrusted the district office to look into it.
“We are busy dealing with other important issues. The accommodation issue of the Bihari community will be dealt with in time,” he said.
Rajuk Chairman Nurul Huda said, “We know about the condition of the buildings of Wapda and Geneva Camp.
“It won’t be fair to demolish those dwellings without arranging alternative accommodations for the Bihari community.”
