Buildings built flouting rules to be marked in 15 days: Minister

All the buildings that have been constructed violating the rules will be identified within 15 days, Public Works and Housing Minister SM Rezaul Karim said today.

“If necessary, the identified buildings will be either sealed off, demolished, or will have all operations suspended at those buildings until congenial atmosphere is ensured there,” Bangla daily Prothom Alo reports quoting the minister as saying.

He was talking to journalists while visiting the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) kitchen market in the capital’s Gulshan 1 area where a fire broke out in the morning.

Actions will be taken against all involved in such construction like owners, businessmen, developers, and even the officials of the city corporations,” he also said.

Mentioning that there are allegations that the reports submitted by the concerned probe bodies do not get revealed, the minister said the ongoing probe reports will be made public a week after the investigations end.

He called upon the people to come forward to build public awareness in this regard.

“If there is no awareness among the people, then nobody, be it the Rajuk, ministers, or lawmakers, can do much to solve the problem. I am saying it openly that let me know the complaints if you have. We will go for action,” the minister said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is monitoring the overall situation round the clock, and coming up with instructions in case of any incident, he said.

Lawmaker of Dhaka 17 constituency Akbar Hossain Pathan Faruque and Awami League Acting Secretary Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif were also present on the spot.