In the wake of yet another earth-shattering earthquake and amidst threats of even more devastating ones in the near future, we are horrified by the overwhelming number of buildings that have been built in the country violating the Bangladesh National Building code. According to experts, the situation is so dangerous that should an earthquake measuring 7 or higher in the Richter scale hit Dhaka, as many as 90 percent of the buildings would be razed to the ground. This is a catastrophic picture, and one, we hope, we never have to encounter. 

However, questions arise as to how so many buildings could be built flouting the most basic of building codes, why so little institutional effort has been put in implementing the building code enacted in 1993, and why little or no action is taken against those who breach the law. In particular, the role of development authority, Rajuk, needs to be critically evaluated. According to a Rajuk official quoted in Prothom Alo, of the thousands of buildings erected every year, monitoring teams only visit around a 100. This is completely unacceptable and highlights the alarming extent to which the regulatory body has been neglecting its duties. 

The ministry of relief and disaster management has already identified over 72,000 risky buildings in Dhaka, including the Dhaka Medical College Hospital as earthquake-prone structures. However, it is unclear what action is being taken by the ministry to ensure that their inhabitants are protected in case of a disaster. 

It is high time that we consider violation of building codes a criminal offence, and take appropriate action not only against the errant owners and construction companies, but also against corrupt and/or negligent Rajuk officials.