SUCCESSIVE governments have showed little regard for public safety. The fact that many structures have been illegally erected around Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka proves the negligent attitude. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh at a press conference on August 7 said that there were 525 illegal structures in obstacle limitation surface and despite notices from the aviation authorities, no actions had been taken to remove the structures. The issue of aviation safety came up once again after the crash of a training fighter jet on the Milestone School and College campus, which left at least 35 dead and 150 more wounded in July. The civil aviation authorities do not have the powers to remove such structures while Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, mandated to take appropriate action, has barely made any intervention. All relevant authorities should realise the price of their continued negligence, particularly after the loss of young lives at Milestone and take immediate action to remove the illegal structures.
The allegation of inaction against Rajuk is, however, common. From the approval of building designs to the issuance of occupation certificates, there are allegations of corruption in its operation. In April, Rajuk identified 3,382 under-construction buildings in Dhaka that are in violation of approved designs, but the action of the agency ends with occasional eviction drives, which have so far failed to make any effective changes. An overwhelming majority of commercial establishments and high rises in Dhaka are built without following fire safety and building codes, with the authorities having ignoring or, in most cases, having enabled such violation in exchange for bribes. After the fire at FR Tower at Banani in Dhaka in 2019, it came to light that the building had no permission for its top four floors and there was no fire-protected staircase in the 22-storey building that housed dozens of offices. The Gulshan Shopping Centre, a building declared unfit for public use, is still in use with 4,000 people working there. After any fatal accident, authorities tend to trade blame and the committees are formed to investigate fatalities make recommendations that are rarely implemented.
The government should take the issue of public safety seriously because it is obliged to protect lives of citizens. In doing so, it should precisely define the authorities and address the coordination failure between public agencies. It should also address the inconsistencies between regulations related to aviation, building and fire safety. It is unacceptable that a request to remove illegal structures in obstacle limitation surface is left unattended.
