Rajuk knew it all, stayed inactive

Rajuk was well aware of inadequate on site safety measures at least three and a half months before the National Bank (NBL) foundation pit collapse, but it failed to act.

It is mandated by building laws that the developer inform Rajuk of the safety measures taken and make an official declaration about the start of construction two weeks ahead. 

The developer failed to comply.

The authorised officer of Rajuk only issued a notice to NBL on February 15, but did not take any action when the developer did not respond.

On May 27, shore piling of the deep foundation pit for the tower on Bir Uttam CR Dutta Road collapsed putting the adjoining six-storey Sundarban Hotel and 15-storey Monem Business District in imminent danger.  

Shore piling is a protection system to retain the edges of a foundation pit excavated for building basement floors.

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), NBL authorities, foundation designer and construction firms are now coming up with inadequate answers.

Meanwhile, Prof Syed Fakhrul Ameen, of the civil engineering department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, leads a DSCC investigation into the incident without the endorsement of his university.

Kazi Golam Nasir, chief architect of Department of Architecture, said the authorised officer of Rajuk, who is empowered by the building law, should have first stopped the construction work and then cancelled the building approval.

The Authorised Officer AZM Shafiul Hannan told The Daily Star, “We could not take legal action against the building developer due to excessive workload.” He later on said, “It was due to lack of manpower.”

He said there were five building inspectors, including one chief inspector, under him but he had no idea how many under-construction buildings were there to look after at a time.    

Nazrul Islam, local chief building inspector, told this correspondent, “I visited the NBL building site but do not know anything about who designed it and how the construction work was going on.”  

A day after the collapse, Rajuk started a flurry of activities.

It filed a case against NBL former deputy managing director Nazib Uddin Bhuiyan, Chief Executive M Salahuddin Ahmed of the construction firm MS Constructions, and the firm's project director Akhtarul Alam, and unnamed hired technical professionals on charges of carelessness in construction.

Meanwhile, Nazib Uddin Bhuiyan had retired on March 31. 

Rajuk also suspended, its officers, Shafiul and Nazrul, for negligence soon after the collapse.

Taking responsibility for safe construction work, the NBL authorities had given a written indemnity to Rajuk. This is a regular practice while taking approval for building.

But the Rajuk authorised officer was still responsible for monitoring according to building laws.

Shamim Z Bosunia, structural engineer who designed the foundation of the building, said the construction work was faulty and he had informed the NBL of the matter several times.  

NBL'S SAY

Asked why they did not make the declaration of work prior to starting construction and had not ensured required safety measures, Abdul Hamid Mia, additional managing director of NBL, side stepped the question. 

Instead, he said they were waiting for the findings of the probe headed by Buet Prof Fakhrul, being conducted by Dhaka South City Corporation.

Asked about their legal liability in the incident, Hamid said, “What I have said is final and I will not make any further comments.”  

FAKHRUL NOT ENDORSED BY BUET

AMM Taufiqul Anwar, head of civil engineering department of Buet, said that he, on a verbal request from the Dhaka North City Corporation immediately nominated Prof Mehedi Ahmed Ansary and Prof Eqramul Hoque as experts in the probe on behalf of Buet.   

“But I have no knowledge of Prof Syed Fakhrul Ameen being involved in the issue, as the university authorities did not designate him.”

Mehedi and Eqramul are not working in the probe after Fakhrul stepped in.    

Prof Md Zoynul Abedin, former head of the civil engineering department, said for official investigation into an engineering issue, one has to ask the Buet authority for an expert. Such a request may be verbal in an emergency and made official later on.

“The Buet authority, either the department head or the vice-chancellor, is to then nominate the relevant expert to take a professional position on the issue with authority,” he said, adding, “Unless endorsed officially; an expert does not have the authority to give an engineering judgment on behalf of Buet.”     

When called over the telephone, Fakhrul on June 11 said they would let everyone know of the causes of the incident only after finishing the report. He hung up when asked whether he was endorsed by Buet.

He did not answer his phone when called several times later.