Quality of most buildings are not up to standard
Experts from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) have expressed concern over the standard and quality of the buildings that are housing heavy-weight industries including those of ready-made garment (RMG) factories.
"Most of such buildings have not been constructed, complying with the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC); even many of them do not have the necessary approval from the authority concerned," they said.
The BUET experts made the observation following their inspection during which they found major faults in construction design, structural lay-out plan of such buildings and warned of vulnerability to natural disasters like earthquake.
"Unfortunately, our inspection teams have found that most RMG factories have been housed in the residential or commercial buildings," said Prof Mujibur Rahman, Head of the BUET's Civil Engineering Department.
However, their initial report also identified that a few factories are located at buildings which have complied with the building code, Mr Rahman added.
He said they have been preparing an inspection report on the basis of the findings made by the BUET team when they tested the suspected 'fragile' buildings.
The professor who is also a coordinator of the BUET inspection team, informed the FE that they would forward their recommendations to Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) in this connection.
"We're hopeful of sending an initial test report and a letter of recommendation to the authority concerned by the next week," he added.
He said the experts have found major faults in the buildings that they have visited and inspected. "However, we asked the owners of less vulnerable buildings to minimize the existing load or do necessary repairing work."
"Besides, a number of illegal multi-storied buildings were found, the owners of which do not even have approval from the authority concerned or they have constructed more floors than what was approved," he observed."
Director of Bangladesh Network Office for Urban Safety (BNUS) Dr Mehedi Ahmed Ansary said they have completed the quake tests of around 150 buildings, of which at least 25 were asked to make detailed engineering tests as their initial inspection found some major faults.
Dr Ansary, also a professor of the same department, expressed concern as some of the owners remained reluctant about getting their buildings checked properly, in details.
He said a large number of building owners applied to the country's leading engineering university to check their buildings after the deadliest industrial mishap just on the outskirts of the capital last April that claimed at least 1,127 lives, besides causing severe injuring to many others.
"We didn't receive enough response from the owners of the buildings and also even from those who applied for the engineering tests," he said, adding that around 400 building owners, mostly in the RMG sector, had applied to the university to get their buildings checked, but they are now reluctant to go through the process of such tests.
Asked about the cause of such reluctance on the part of the owners, the expert said, "It may be because there was no pressure from the higher authorities or reasons of their perceived fear about our inspection reports leading to the closure of their factories."
"Initially, we just examined the visual fitness of the buildings, but these need to be checked in details for further confirmation," he said.
Terming the risk-rate alarming, the professor made strong pleas to the owners of the buildings across the country to make proper engineering tests of such structures at their own initiatives to help avert any untoward occurrence.
