Claiming that demolishing structures built illegally by influential quarters is a challenging task, the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Mohammad Sayeed Khokon, yesterday asked the Rajdhani Unnyan Katripakkha (RAJUK) to set an example by demolishing any building owned by an influential person.

“No one in the city believes that any building owned by an influential person could be demolished. I'm asking RAJUK to demolish one, just for the sake of setting up an example,” he said. Khokon was speaking at a roundtable discussion titled “Fire Hazards and Safety Management”, organised by the State University of Bangladesh, at the Yakub South Centre in the Kalabagan area of the capital.

“RAJUK should act pro-actively in preventing a building from being erected violating the construction permit. It's impossible for RAJUK now to demolish those illegal buildings even if it wants to,” said the DSCC mayor.

Khokon claimed that around 5,500 buildings have been built illegally in the capital.

“Can RAJUK demolish those buildings? Can it build a new building there after demolition? It's impossible! But those buildings have not been built in one day. Someone among us violated the law and erected them illegally. Our citizens have done it,” he said.

“This problem has not happend in a year. It has emerged

through mismanagement and negligence over the years,” he added.

The roundtable programme was presided over by the vice-chancellor of State University, Dr Sayeed Salam. The keynote Speaker was Prof. Samsul Wares, dean of the Science Faculty at State University.

Maj. AKM Shakil Nawaz, director (operation and maintenance) of the Fire Service, Nasrin Hossain, head of the architecture department of BUET, Dr Mofijur Rahman, professor of the civil engineering department of BUET, Helal Uddin, president of the Shop Owners’ Association, and Kamrul Islam, former general secretary of the National Press Club, among others were also present.