No one knows when Hatirjheel will be fully cured of ‘sore’

Work on demolishing the BGMEA building – which was constructed in Hatirjheel lake in violation of environmental laws – started in January 2020 at the directive of the High Court and was supposed to end within six months. But the work has not been completed even after the passage of more than two years.

What is even more frustrating is that officials concerned do not have any clue as to when the demolition work will be completed.

All the floors of the building were torn down, but the basement and the base of the building have not been demolished yet. As such, the waterbody has not been restored to its previous condition, which was the main purpose of the demolition project.

Without the work being finished, it has not been possible to restore the drainage system that carries water into the lake from parts of the city.

The demolition work has remained stopped for almost a year now.

Naim Kamal, a resident of the New Eskaton area beside the lake, said, "The building has been demolished to ensure a smooth flow of water, but nothing has been done about it as there are still rods, bricks, concrete, and piles of sand and soil in its basement."

The building had been labelled as a "cancer" in the Hatirjheel project and a "sore" by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for occupying crucial parts of the Hatirjheel and Begunbari canals.

Raihanul Ferdous, chief engineer of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (Rajuk), told The Business Standard, "Demolishing the base of the building requires more advanced technology. Therefore, the contractor has stopped work for the time being."

He also said the basement will be demolished too with advanced equipment, but it is not yet clear when the work will be completed.

There have been allegations from the outset that the building was demolished in the traditional manual way instead of through the latest technology only to save cost. However, the authorities concerned have denied the allegation, saying they used the traditional method only in consideration of the surrounding environment and the Pan-Pacific Sonargaon Hotel.

Four Star Enterprises, the contractor in charge of the demolition work, could not be contacted for comments in this regard.

Visiting the spot, our correspondent found that rubble from the demolition site had accumulated in places in and around the lake and hampered the flow of water falling into it.

When evening falls, drug abusers gather in the basement of the building, as currently there are no workers.

Illegal construction of the BGMEA building started in Hatirjheel in the 1990s and was completed in 2006. Various environmental organisations had been opposing the building construction project from the very beginning.

In 2010, the High Court issued a rule asking the BGMEA to explain the establishment. It declared the building illegal in 2011.

With this declaration, a chapter of procrastination opened up.

Though the High Court ordered the demolition to be completed within 90 days, the BGMEA was not cowed by the verdict.

It appealed against the verdict, following which the case ran for five years. The appeal was finally dismissed in 2016. At that point, the BGMEA asked for three years to move its offices from the building.

In response, the Appellate Division granted them 13 months in two phases.

Finally, Rajuk stepped in and sealed the building on 16 April 2019.

After months of anticipation and recurrent procrastination, the demolition finally went underway on January 22, 2020 in the presence of Rajuk officials, the media and the governing body of Four Star Enterprises.