Environmentalists on Saturday stressed the need for coordination among authorities concerned to ensure proper construction and maintenance of the buildings.
They made the suggestion at a press conference organised by Save the Environment Movement at the National Press Club after two weeks of the collapse of eight-storey Rana Plaza at Savar on April 24 that killed more than 1,100 people, mostly garment workers.
The green activists expressed deep concern saying that there were many risky and vulnerable buildings across the country.
Save the Environment Movement secretary Md Abdus Sobhan said that all authorities concerned, including the Rana Plaza owner who had constructed the building ignoring many rules and regulations, factory owners who had forced workers to work neglecting cracks in the building and the city development authority Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkhya, were responsible for the Rana Plaza collapse.
He demanded trial of the Rana plaza owner, factory owners, Savar municipal officers and Savar upazila nirbahi officer on charge of causing deaths of more than 1,100 people by their negligence under Section 304 of the Penal Code.
Sobhan said that two city corporations in Dhaka, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkhya, Fire Service and Civil Defence, Dhaka district administration and Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme had identified many risky buildings and made their lists, but no action had ever been taken to demolish them.
He said that the government should form a separate building management authority to supervise and monitor building construction and maintenance.
Sobhan suggested forming a national rescue team, training rescuers, buying adequate rescue materials to operate post disaster rescue as early as possible.
He also urged the government to form an authority for readymade garments sector.
Work for Better Bangladesh director Syed Mahbubul Alam and Save the Environment Movement leader Kamal Pasha Chowdhury were also present.
-With New Age input
