Do I need an inspector behind every house: Rajuk chair

Rajuk Chairman Engineer Md Riazul Islam has questioned how the authorities can monitor every building in the capital with limited manpower, saying it is not possible to build houses through “policing”.

“Do I need to keep an inspector behind every house? Where will I get so many inspectors?” he said at a discussion on earthquake risks at the National Press Club yesterday.

The Dhaka Utility Reporters Association (DURA) organised the programme titled “DURA Dialogue: Country at Earthquake Risk - What Should We Do?”

DURA President Shahjahan Molla chaired the programme, while its General Secretary Zahirul Islam moderated it. BUET Civil Engineering Professor Mehedi Hasan Ansari presented the keynote paper. Fire Service and Civil Defence Deputy Director Saleh Uddin and Dhaka Reporters Unity General Secretary Mainul Hasan Sohel were also present.

Riazul said building plans and designs are prepared by professionals, while Rajuk mainly approves them.
“Plans and designs come from you and Rajuk only approves them,” he said, referring to professionals involved in building construction.

Riazul said the capital has a huge number of buildings, making it impossible to assess their risks at once. Rajuk plans to assess buildings in phases through Rapid Visual Assessment, Preliminary Engineering Assessment and Detailed Engineering Assessment.

Professor Dr Adil Mohammad Khan, executive director of the Institute for Planning and Development (IPD) said earthquake risks do not depend only on a building’s design or construction quality. The location of the building and the type of soil on which it is constructed are also very important.

He said unplanned housing projects in areas with weak soil and wetlands can further increase earthquake risks.
Mohammad Abdur Razzaq, vice-president-1 of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) said engineers and regulatory agencies must work with honesty and responsibility, keeping personal interests aside.