Published : 08 Aug 2026, 07:05 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:31 AM
The Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha (RAJUK) chief has admitted that the authority has weak regulatory oversight of planned urban development and housing in Dhaka.
Engineer Md Riazul Islam said on Saturday that RAJUK could provide guidelines and take action against violations, but could not keep an inspector at every house to enforce the rules.
He said RAJUK’s “weak” regulatory presence was the result of problems that had built up over time.
“Perhaps irregularities were more common at some point. But today’s situation has been created over time. I do not want to blame anyone.”
“I'd say that even managing to start work despite this weak presence is a major achievement for me,” he said at a discussion organised by the Dhaka Utility Reporters Association at the National Press Club.
Riazul said buildings once went up on architectural plans alone, with no requirement for fire safety, electro-mechanical or civil structural drawings.
Now the responsibility has fallen on RAJUK to remove those flaws or retrofit them.
On the limitations in taking action against building-rule violations, the RAJUK chairman said property owners prepared the plans and designs while the authority only approved them.
“Is it possible in any country in the world to police the construction of houses? What can we do about a building’s meter? This is a matter of raising awareness. We can provide guidelines,” he said.
He said some people bypassed restrictions by taking electricity meters from neighbouring houses or filing general diaries claiming their meters had been lost to obtain new ones.
“This is the situation on the public end,” he said.
Riazul said enforcement also became difficult when electricity connections were cut from buildings found to be in violation.
“If I cut the electricity connection to a house, they steal electricity and reconnect it, then go to court. So do I have to keep one inspector behind every house? Where will I get hundreds of thousands of inspectors? We have to deal with these challenges every day,” he said.
Adil Muhammad Khan, executive director of the Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), criticised housing projects being developed in risky areas.
“No matter how strong a building is made through engineering on weak soil, it will face extreme risk even in a 6.5-magnitude earthquake, without needing a 7-magnitude one,” he said.
The state must strengthen its enforcement powers instead of limiting its role to inspections and filing complaints, Adil said.
“It must be strengthened to such an extent that no wrongdoer dares to build a structure or take up a project on weak soil,” he added.
