The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha took no action, except serving notices several times, in the past year against the misuse of basements in 683 buildings found in a survey following several incidents of explosions and fires in the city.

In May 2023, Rajuk’s former member for development control, Tonmoy Das, claimed that they would not allow business entities in basements anymore and gave only one month to building owners to remove them.

Rajuk chairman Anisur Rahman Mia told New Age on Friday that they had recently resumed serving notices to the building owners for basement misuse.

‘If the building owners do not pay any heed to Rajuk’s notices, we will take stern actions against them,  including sealing off businesses and cutting utility services like gas, water, and electricity,’ Anisur said.

He said that they would conduct joint drives with the city authorities, Fire Service and Civil Defence, district administration, and gas and electricity service providers against the misuse of basements.

‘The situation will not improve overnight. We are doing our activities. We conducted 1,800 drives in 2023 and 375 in 2022. We are doing our work silently,’ Anisur claimed.

Rajuk found flammable shops, warehouses, and markets in 683 buildings’ basements while inspecting 2,204 structures in eight zones under its jurisdiction.

Basements in 750 or over 35 per cent of the surveyed buildings are being used for other purposes instead of parking, the survey conducted between March 10 and March 23, 2023, found.

Bangladesh Institute of Planners president Adil Mohammed Khan told New Age that if any building owner did not pay any heed to Rajuk notices, Rajuk could take action against them, including realising fines, filing cases, and shutting down business as the implementing authority.

‘Rajuk should find its officials involved in saving those building owners and businessmen through corruption. People are now unsafe for those misuses of basements, and we are witnessing repeated incidents time and again,’ he added.

He said that the Rajuk should also take action against the Old Dhaka chemical warehouse and shops.

The city development authority approves plans for 10,000–12,000 new buildings every year, and many owners use their basements for purposes other than designated ones in violation of the approved plan, Rajuk officials said.

They added that their survey sample represented only a fraction of the buildings built every year in the capital.

The basements are either used as warehouses, shops, or restaurants, violating Rajuk’s approved plan.

A basement beneath the Amzad restaurant in the capital’s Banglamotor area is used as a warehouse by dealers of three big companies – Sheltech Ceramics, RAK Ceramics, and Tiles House.

Asked about the matter, Tiles House sales executive Mesbah Uddin Prodip said that his company had rented the building from its owner but could not provide further details.

Rajuk member for development control Mohammad Abdul Ahad told New Age that basements could not be used for any other purpose except for parking facilities.

Sheltech Ceramics executive director Sarwar Jahan said that these spaces were rented and used by the dealers.

‘We will ask them to relocate the warehouses if they violate any rules,’ he told New Age on Sunday.

On March 7, 2023, at least 17 people were killed in an explosion at a building in the capital’s Siddique Bazar.