Dhaka, April 03 – After the deadly fire at Banani’s FR tower the government agencies are now active to inspection high rise buildings in the capital, which finds most of them were violated building code and made the structure dangerous…
Category: Urban issues
Regulators start inspecting Dhaka’s highrise buildings
Dhaka, April 01 – Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK) yesterday started a two-day inspection of high-rise buildings to find out buildings constructed flouting the building codes and in compliance with fire safety rules. Twenty-four teams of RAJUK—the capital development authority—started its…
PM Hasina orders yearly clearance for Dhaka high-rises
Dhaka, Apr 1 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday came up with a number of directives, including the introduction of yearly renewal of clearance certificates for high-rises from Fire Service and Civil Defence Department like industrial units, aiming…
Dhaka highrise devastated by fire declared unusable
Dhaka, March 31 –The FR Tower, where a deadly blaze on last Thursday killed 26 people, is declared as “unusable until further notice” by a government probe committee as not only the building is badly fire-gutted but also has evinced…
World Bank support to help improve livability in Dhaka
Washington, Mar 31 (UNB)— The World Bank has approved $100.5 million to improve public spaces and urban services in four neighbourhoods under the Dhaka South City Corporation. The Dhaka City Neighborhood Upgrading Project will benefit about a million residents. It…
Dhaka South Mayor asks for demolishing illegal building
Dhaka, March 31 – Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokon yesterday challenged Rajdhani Unnyan Katripakkha (RAJUK) to demolish a building owned by an influential person. “No one in the city believes that any building owned by an…
Nor’wester kills 3, causes traffic chaos in BD capital Dhaka
Dhaka, Mar 31 (UNB) – At least three people were killed as a nor’wester coupled with hailstorm and rain swept the capital on Sunday evening. The victims were identified as Md Hanif, 50, a tea vendor of Paltan crossing, Mili…
Owner of fire disaster-hit Dhaka-highrise held
Dhaka, Mar 30 (UNB) – Detectives detained BNP leader Tasveer Ul Islam, owner of the extended portion of Faruk Rupayan (FR) Tower, from his Baridhara residence on Saturday night. Members of Detective Branch (DB) of Police arrested Tasveer around 10:45…
66 pc buildings in BD capital Dhaka unplanned: Minister
Dhaka, Mar 31 (UNB) – Around 66 percent buildings in capital Dhaka and its adjoining areas under the jurisdiction of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) have been constructed in an unplanned way, said Housing and Public Works Minister SM Rezaul Karim. “Of…
Dhaka South City Mayor suspects sabotage in fire incidents
Dhaka, Mar 30 – Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sayeed Khokon on Saturday directed the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence to ascertain whether the recent incidents of fire were acts of sabotage. He came up with the directive at…
Cities around the world turn off lights to mark Earth Hour
Hong Kong, Mar 30 (AP/UNB) — Cities around the world were marking Earth Hour on Saturday night by turning off the lights in a call for global action on climate change. In Hong Kong, major buildings along Victoria Harbour turned…
Dhaka highrise fire survivors narrate tales of horror
Dhaka, Mar 29 (UNB) – It was not possible to see anything as there was a dark wall of smoke everywhere. Within 10 minutes the smoke spread throughout the building making it difficult for people to escape. Exhausted and terrified, Hasina…
Dhaka inferno victims either suffocated or fell to their deaths
Dhaka, Mar 28 – None of the victims of the horrific fire at FR Tower were burnt to death – they either suffocated inside the building, or died in the act of trying to escape the fire, falling from the…
Worker dies falling off govt secretariat building in Dhaka
Dhaka, Mar 28 (UNB) – A construction worker died after falling from an under-construction building at the Secretariat here on Thursday. The deceased was identified as Ashraful Islam, 21, son of Joynal Abedin of Nilphamari district. Ashraful fell from the…
Circular bus service opens in Dhaka’s posh Dhanmondi areas
Dhaka, Mar 27 (UNB) – A circular bus service has been introduced on Dhanmondi-New Market-Azimpur route, aiming to bring back traffic discipline on the city streets. Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon inaugurated the service at Kalabagan…
Tanzania Teacher sentenced to death for corporal punishment to pupil
All children are children of God who are entitled to dignity and respect. Ignorance lacks empathy and compassion. Where there’s ignorance, there will always be violence; it just makes matters worse when there are people openly teaching it in the…
Dhaka ranks world’s worst in Air Quality Index Wednesday
Dhaka, Mar 20 – Bangladesh capital Dhaka was ranked worst in the Air Quality Index (AQI) on Wednesday. Dhaka had a score of 179 at 10:50 am, indicating that the air quality was unhealthy. A numerical value between 151 and…
Dhaka struggling to restore traffic discipline
Dhaka, Mar 20 (UNB) – Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, is struggling to bring back discipline on its streets. Violation of traffic rules, reckless driving and evil race on roads by drivers have become…
Fire at Old Dhaka again, 3 suffer burn injuries
Dhaka, Mar 2 (UNB) – Three people sustained burn injuries as a fire broke out at a scrap-metal store in Kamalbagh area of the old part of the city on Saturday afternoon. The injured are store owner’s son Sumon Khan,…
Dhaka South City Corpn cuts off utility lines to warehouses
Dhaka, Feb 28 – Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) authorities in separate drive cut off utility lines of 23 chemical warehouse and factories of Islambagh and Shahidnagar area of old Dhaka yesterday in the aftermath of deadly Chawkbazar fire that…
Voting to elect Dhaka North Mayor, 48 Councillors begins
Dhaka, Feb 28 (UNB) – Voting in the by-election to the mayoral post of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), and in 36 wards of Dhaka north and south city corporations (DSCC) began on Thursday amid rain. The balloting that began…
Dhaka North City mayoral election Thursday
Dhaka, Feb 27 – The by-election to mayoral post of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and election to 36 ward councilor posts and 24 for women reserved seats in 36 new wards under both the DNCC and Dhaka South City…
Container-based sanitation: one way to reach the last mile
Submitted by Clementine Marie Stip On Tue, 02/19/2019 co-authors: Seema Thomas, Martin Gambrill Cities are growing at unprecedented rates, with over two-thirds of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2050 (UN DESA 2018), and city governments…
HC bench annoyed over lack of mosquito control
Dhaka, Feb 19 – A High Court bench Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction for not taking effective step to curb the mosquito menace in the capital city of Dhaka. “You (city corporation lawyer) are not taking effective step to curb the mosquito…
Gas supply to remain suspended in some parts of capital
Dhaka, Feb 18 – Gas supply in most parts of the capital will remain suspended for 12 hours starting from Tuesday evening due to the relocation of the gas pipelines as part of the construction work of metro rail project.…
Gas supply disrupted in parts of Dhaka, adjoining areas
Dhaka, Feb 16 (UNB) – Different areas of Dhaka city, including Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Kalabagan, Shyamoli, Agargaon and some adjacent areas like Dhamrai, Ashulia, Aminbazar, Savar and Manikganj have been experiencing disruption in gas supply since Friday night due to a…
Dhaka University building rooftops for solar power
Dhaka, Feb 12 (UNB) – Having failed to get necessary cooperation from government departments in using the rooftops of their buildings, Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC) is now moving to Dhaka University buildings to implement a solar power project on…
Dhaka, Kolkata civic bodies sign MoU for waste management
Dhaka, Feb 10 (UNB) – The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to exchange the best practices of the two cities. This agreement will enable the two civic…
Bobby Hajjaj quits DNCC mayoral race
Dhaka, Feb 9 – Five mayoral contenders will contest the by-polls to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) after Jatiya Ganotantrik Andolan candidate Bobby Hajjaj quit the electoral race. Hajjaj withdrew his candidature within the stipulated time that expired on Saturday,…
90 pc people in Dhaka victims of air pollution: Poba
Dhaka, Feb 9 – Green activists on Saturday voiced deep concern that around 90 percent dwellers in Dhaka city are affected by serious dust pollution and urged the authorities concerned to take effective steps to check it. Speaking at a…