3,382 buildings built in violation of approved plans to be demolished: Rajuk chairman

The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) has started identifying and demolishing illegal portions of 3,382 buildings in Dhaka that have been constructed in violation of their approved plans, Rajuk Chairman Md Riazul Islam announced on Saturday.

Speaking at a dialogue titled “Dhaka: The City of Problems, What is the Way Forward?”, held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium, the chairman said, “Instructions will be issued to immediately suspend construction on these illegal structures, and the unlawful sections will be demolished in phases.”

Outlining the authority’s action plan, he added, “In the first phase, utility services will be disconnected, criminal cases will be filed, building plans will be cancelled, and if necessary, the buildings will be sealed.”

He further stressed the need for a unified urban governance system to address the city’s growing problems, saying, “All decisions regarding water, electricity, gas, and other essential services should come from a single authority—whether it’s a city government or a mayor with centralised power.”

Md Riazul Islam also clarified that Rajuk currently has no plans to allocate new plots, adding, “Our focus is on recovering encroached lands and making housing arrangements for lower and middle-income groups.”

At the same event, Mohammad Fazle Reza Suman, former president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), blamed bureaucratic complexities for the city’s present condition. “If good governance and accountability can be ensured, restoring Dhaka’s livability is still possible,” he said.

Professor Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman, chairman of the Atmospheric Pollution Study Centre (CAPS), painted a bleak picture of Dhaka’s environmental health. “Dhaka was once envisioned as a city of nature, beauty, and order. Today, it suffers from air and noise pollution, traffic congestion, and lead contamination,” he noted.

Presenting the keynote, Sheikh Muhammad Mehedi Ahsan, general secretary of the BIP, listed overcrowding, traffic jams, pollution, and waterlogging as the city’s primary challenges. He attributed these to the occupation of open spaces and canals, along with unregulated building construction. “No ministry has managed to prepare short, medium, or long-term plans over the past eight months,” he remarked.

The event was chaired by Motin Abdullah, president of the Urban Development Journalists Forum-Bangladesh, and moderated by senior member Khaled Saifulla.

A book titled “Dhaka‍‍`s Canals on Their Dying Breath: An In-Depth Look at How the Capital‍‍`s Waterways Are Being Choked”, authored by the organisation’s adviser Helemul Alam Biplob, was also unveiled at the event.

Speaking on the issue, Helemul Alam identified five primary causes behind the loss of Dhaka’s canals: the construction of box culverts, flood protection embankments, bank lining, U-channels, unplanned urbanisation, and the failure of responsible authorities to protect these crucial waterways.

He urged immediate government action to preserve the city’s remaining canals and water bodies, warning, “If we fail to protect them, Dhaka will become uninhabitable.”

Also present at the event were Mohammad Nurullah, former chief engineer of Dhaka South City Corporation, Architect Sujaul Islam Khan, and other notable speakers.