2,500 live in high risk DU buildings
Cracked wall of Haji Muhammad Mushin Hall at Dhaka University. Inset, rods in the roof get exposed as chunks of plaster fell off earlier. The photos were taken yesterday. Photo: Rashed Shumon
Around 2,500 people, including students and staff, are staying in the Dhaka University's five risky buildings, which may collapse during earthquake, said sources concerned. Several structures at the halls have been found "high risky" of earthquake, observes DU Chief Engineer Muhammad Mufizul Islam. "Around five buildings of Dhaka University have been declared high risky but the students are still living in some of the buildings which can bring much loss of life and property if heavy earthquake takes place," said Mofizul. The risky buildings on the campus are Haji Muhammad Mushin Hall, Jagannath Hall, Rokeya Hall, DU staff quarter adjacent to Sir PJ Hartog International Hall, said sources. The authorities directed the students of the risky buildings to vacate those but they do not pay heed to the repeated warnings, alleged the DU chief engineer. "I have been compelled to stay in a risky building of Jagannath Hall as I have no other way to live outside the hall," said Sajal Das, a resident student of the hall. All the nights, I pass, seem to be a nightmare due to a sudden earthquake or a normal collapse of the weaker construction," he added. "There was a structural fault at the main building of Haji Muhammad Mushin Hall and the students have been shifted to a newly made tin-shade structure during its repairing but they used to live in the faulty building," the DU chief engineer told The Daily Star. Mushin hall provost Prof Ali Akkas said the authority has taken steps to respire the faults of the building spending Tk 1.20 crore. Experts of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) have supervised the reconstruction works but the work is yet to be completed. A four-storey building known as "Purba Bari" of Jagannath Hall is high risky and it has been declared unlivable, said sources. "In spite of establishing a tin-shed structure for the students, many students of this hall often ignore the authority's ban on living there and stays in the building accepting risk of lives," said an official of DU. Jagannath hall provost Prof Dr Ajay Kumar Das told this correspondent that it's true that the building has been declared risky but it's also difficult to accommodate around 800 students. An 8-storey building is under construction and it will be ready to inaugurate by January 2012 to resolve the seat crisis, hopes Dr Ajay. Rokeya hall provost Prof Dr Nazma Shahin said the risky building of her hall has been declared unlivable and the authority is trying to build a 10-storey building to ensure safety of the students. "I have issued a letter to the Fire Brigade authorities to train female students of my hall so that they can learn how to save themselves from a disaster like heavy earthquake," said Nazma Shahin. Chairman of Geology department of DU Prof Dr Mahmud Alam told The Daily Star that the risky buildings of DU should be identified as soon as possible to label those in some categories so that the people concerned can remain careful of the worst risky structures. "Proper monitoring should be conducted to detect the faulty and risky buildings to ensure safety of students, teachers and staff of Dhaka University," said Dr Mahmud. DU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique told The Daily Star that the authorities have already monitored the risky buildings by a group of experts and they will monitor more to ensure safety of the students.
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