Discussants at a programme in Sylhet called for taking immediate steps to identify risky buildings in the city to demolish or rectify them without any
farther delay to avoid casualties in incidents of collapse.
They also stressed the need to form a taskforce comprising expert civil engineer and representatives of the city corporation and civil society to supervise the issue.
Sub-committees at all the city corporation wards can also be constituted under the taskforce to detect whether any person or organisation is constructing buildings in violation of the approved plan or using substandard materials, they suggested.
They were addressing a roundtable discussion on ‘Risky living in Sylhet city’ organised by the Press Club Foundation at Nagar Bhaban Saturday night.
Mentioning that more than 10,000 people are living at the risky houses situated at hillocks in the city, the speakers also requested the authorities concerned for rapid steps to relocate them to safe places.
The city mayor, Badar Uddin Ahmad Kamran, addressed the programme as chief guest, while the city corporation chief executive engineer Nur Azizur Rahman, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology civil and environmental engineering professor Zahir Bin Alam and Sushasaner Janya Nagarik, a social forum for developing good governance, district unit president Faruk Mahmud Chowdhury as special guests.
PCF president Al Azad moderated the programme, which was also addressed, among others, by Sylhet District Press Club president Aziz Ahmed Selim, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad district general secretary Rina Karmakar, Save the Heritage and Environment’s chief coordinator Mohammad Abdul Hai, social worker Syed Ahmad Bahlul and Dhruba Gautam.
-With New Age input
