Top bidder seeks 16 months to scrap BGMEA building

The highest bidder for demolishing the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association building now seeks 16 months to pull down the illegal building erected on Hatirjheel in the capital after getting permission.

Salam and Brothers, which quoted the highest price of Tk 1.7 crore for demolishing the building at it own expenses, on September 16 officially informed Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha that it would take at least 16 months to demolish the building without creating public disturbance, harming nature or any casualty.

Salam and Brothers placed the action plan as demanded by Rajuk in August though the agency invited quotation on April 16 asking the bidders to demolish the building and evacuate all materials within three months.

The bidder has to take on all the responsibilities with utmost care, while conducting the work, the quotation added.

‘I guess Rajuk set the deadline for only three months for immediately demolishing the building as per the Appellate Division’s Directives but without considering the ground realities,’ Salam and Brothers’ managing director Salam Chowdhury told New Age.   

One month would be required for developing connecting road and facilities for keeping equipment and vehicles by removing the existing bridge on the canal towards the BGMEA building.

‘Three months will be required for removing glasses and other exterior designing materials while nine months will be needed for demolishing the 15-storey building without creating any disturbance to the public of nature or causing any casualty of the workers,’ he said.

He said that three more months would be required for demolishing the three basements.

 As Rajuk hurriedly tried to demolish the 20-storied Rangs Building on the Bijoy Sarani in 2007, four labourers died and many others injured, Salam claimed.

Even then, he claimed, Rajuk took nine months just to demolish the building without demolishing the basements, which still exist under the approach road.

Rajuk chairman Sultan Ahmed on Monday said that a technical committee was working on the bidder’s latest proposal.

‘We will forward the recommendation to the highest decision making authority soon,’ he said.

Housing and public works minister SM Rezaul Karim, however, said that demolition of the building would begin within a month.

Rajuk sealed off the building on April 16 for demolishing it following the Appellate Division’s verdict passed in April 2018 for removing it by April 12, 2019.

Initially Rajuk planned to demolish the building using dynamite but then changed the decision as a Chinese firm demanded Tk 13 crore for the task, Rajuk officials said.

They also admitted that Rajuk did not estimate the scrap value while inviting the quotation for manually demolishing the building in April.

Housing ministry on May 30 asked Rajuk to estimate the scrap value and the agency took two months to finish the task.

The scrap value was estimated at Tk 2,32 crore in July and then the housing ministry took time for a month for deciding whether any revised quotation would be called nor not.

In August, the ministry ordered Rajuk to ask the highest bidder to place a time-bound action plan for demolishing BGMEA building.    

Following a New Age report on October 2, 2010, the High Court in a suo moto rule asked the government to explain why it would not be directed to demolish the BGMEA building built illegally on government land in violation of the laws on the conservation of environment and the capital’s wetlands.    

On April 3, 2011, the High Court declared the building illegal and ordered the BGMEA to demolish it within 90 days.

The court also ordered Rajuk to pull down the building and realise the cost from the association if it failed to meet the deadline.

On April 2, 2018, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for the third time extended the time limit until April 11, 2019 for demolition of the building by the BGMEA.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net