Don't we deserve a safer Dhaka?

The more things change, the more they remain the same – is there any phrase that captures Dhaka as succinctly? On the one hand, our capital city is growing at an unimaginable pace, with rapid changes to its skyline and outskirts. On the other, the growth remains, as always, unplanned, unmonitored and unsustainable. The new buildings, like the old, are built without permits and in violation of basic fire and safety regulations. Every time a major accident takes place – be it a fire, explosion or building collapse – we may spend a few days, at best weeks, dissecting the city's vulnerabilities, but ultimately nothing ever really changes for the better. Our regulatory bodies as well as our policymakers remain as complacent as ever.

In a recent parliamentary session, State Minister for Housing and Public Works Sharif Ahmed admitted that most of the buildings at the city's nearby Bosila, Hemayetpur and Sugandha Housings have been constructed illegally and without permission from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk). But the obvious question to which we demand an answer is: how is it that whole housing societies are constructed without Rajuk, whose primary mandate is to ensure compliance with the existing laws and codes, having a clue? Do they not have the capacity to monitor such illegal growth, are they "paid" to keep silent, or do they simply not care? The state minister would have us believe that some "unscrupulous" people might be collecting money from the owners of illegally constructed buildings in the name of Rajuk. Again, the questions are obvious: who are these unscrupulous men, and why has no action been taken against them if they are indeed impersonating Rajuk officials? It is absurd for the authorities to remain so oblivious to such an insidious problem.

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Rajuk must lead drive on risky buildings

There are as many as 54 agencies under 11 ministries to ensure governance in the capital, and yet none of these institutions nor any of their officials have ever been held to account for the countless avoidable disasters in the city. Frankly, we are tired of our policymakers and regulators' refusal to do even the bare minimum to ensure safe and dignified lives of the citizens of this country, whom they are obligated to serve. It is high time such callous negligence was called out, both in parliament and on the streets. The relevant ministries and agencies must come together to devise a comprehensive mechanism to address the illegal and risky growth of the city, and fuse the ticking time bomb that is our beloved capital.