Perspective
Building Dreams
Photo: Prabir Das
Though it is not known but can be well presumed that human beings started the first development work by initiating construction of its shelter to safeguard from all sorts of natural calamities and threats. Over time, people started construction of various structures to run various activities inside. Since its very first initiative, development of these constructions took in various perspectives what today is termed as building development. A building is now termed as an infrastructure built permanently or semi-permanently for the use of various characters of occupancies to run in safe, comfortable, good physical and environmental condition. But in reality, majority of such buildings in the country were developed or are being developed in an unorthodox manner, which apparently appear to be safe but in many occasions proved to be hazardous due to causing deterioration of health, fatal injuries and even death.
For sustainable development of building infrastructure, various acts, rules, regulations and guidelines are made for strict compliance to codes for safe construction and maintenance practices. In 1993, Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) was published to bring unanimity in planning, designing, constructing, maintaining and even in demolishing practices in the country considering its socio-economic, cultural, religious and environmental conditions. The code was supposed to be followed by all concerned as a gesture towards all good practices. Unfortunately in building construction sector, irregularities in every aspect of building development were going on unabated shelving BNBC in the dust. With a view to ensuring safe building development, BNBC has been brought under the auspices of law in 2006 by amending Building Construction Act. Provisions for punishment have also been kept for the violators. In these backdrops it has become the burning need of time to establish a building regulating office, as early as possible, in the light of suggestions made in the National Building Code, to save life and property of the country.
Enforcement Guidelines in BNBC
Bangladesh National Building Code was prepared to standardise the building construction practices toward achieving safe buildings in the country. It was anticipated that it will be well accepted by all concerned. Unfortunately it remained shelved and the construction practices moving at its own course. Some major incidences of building collapse helped realising the importance of BNBC in safe building development. And to ensure it, policy-makers amended the Building Construction Acts to bring BNBC under the umbrella of law where there are provisions for rigorous punishment for the code violators. Now the burning question is who will be working as a regulatory body to ensure the enforcement of BNBC throughout the country. BNBC has given some guidelines in this regard and proposed for a “Building Office” for the purpose. This office is yet to be established and the scope of work is to be formulated.
Photo: Prabir Das
Bangladesh National Building Code describes the administrative system to be established for enforcement of the code where it has categorically suggested for establishing an office to be named as “Building Office”. This office will be entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring enforcement of National Building Code in all building construction all over the country. It has also guided that job of building office can be vested upon an existing department that is not involved in any building construction or it can be set up as a new one. The BNBC did not mention the structure of administering officers and staffs, their charter of duties, qualification, experiences etc. those are to be formulated.
In the process of updating the code, it has been revealed in the workshop that the updated code suggested for establishing a new Building Regulatory Authority (BRA), or designating an existing department/agency responsible for enforcing the Code throughout Bangladesh. The BRA will designate a section/wing/part/branch/division of any public office engaged in the development sector with specific geographical jurisdiction as sub-ordinate office of BRA. These offices will be named as Office of the Building Official (OBA).
Establishing Building Regulatory Authority
It is now the demand of time to have an authority for regulating building development practices in the context of Bangladesh National Building Code. Concerned professional bodies and many others have been raising the issue time and again. Policy makers have already realised the matter and heading towards action.
The functions of building regulatory authority will be multidimensional. The size of the office will be depending upon the number, volume and character of buildings to be administered. The success of the office will be dependent on the efficiency of administrative structure formed for the office depending on nature and volume of tasks to be performed. Volume of works and nature of jobs will remain increasing keeping pace with the national development. So Building Regulatory Authority may be established phase wise, as described below, according to the demand of time.
Photo: Prabir Das
Multidimensional factors need to be considered for the setting up of a new office for a new job. The first one is the time factor. Since it is to be established without delay so it will be wise to shoulder the task to an authority competent and experienced in building management activities. For this purpose a logical framework can be done to select an appropriate organisation out of running potential organisations as shown in Frame 01. Among the existing authorities like Public Works Department (PWD), Department of Architecture (DoA), National Housing Authority (NHA), Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (RajUK), Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Khulna Development Authority (KDA), Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Urban Development Directorate (UDD), City Corporations or Municipalities etc., Public Works Department is found to be most competent upon which this responsibility can be vested so long a new authority is created. It is also being thought that this responsibility might be given to more than one organisation for different areas. Giving responsibility to more than one organisation of similar nature jobs might invite various problems as follows:
1. Enforcement cannot be implemented in the same pace every where.
2. Separate policy shall be needed to adopt for this purpose which may not function well.
3. Entrusted officials may not get job satisfaction.
4. Institutional development will be hindered.
5. Future expansion and strengthening of office administration will not be an easy task.
As a developing nation, it is expected that building construction rate in the near future will greatly increase at all corners of the country. So the volume and diversity of work of existing regulating office will increase in the same pace. In those circumstances an office habituated with a certain job may get overburdened with different nature of responsibilities related to regulating building development activities. At that time the establishment of a full-fledged Building Regulatory Authority will be a must. That authority will run with its own manpower under its own administrative set-up.
In fact, the BNBC is not only being violated by some of the private building developers but many of the public organisations executing building development projects are not fully conforming National Building Code. For deviations in construction practices by the public departments, Building Regulatory Authority will then be questioned for not equally handling as private or other developers are being regulated. The lackadaisical approach of Building Regulatory Authority cannot be accepted rather it may create confusion, leading to serious anarchies among the stakeholders. An independent Building Regulatory Authority regulating both public and private building development activities under the same regulatory frame work can be the only way towards achieving the goal. In the course of time this authority can be turned into a Building Regulatory Commission.
The Way Out
Considering the present socio-economic condition, Building Office (Building Regulatory Authority, proposed in updated BNBC) should be established without any delay within an existing authorities involved exclusively in Building infrastructure development. PWD is the only competent organisation which only needs to recruit officials as and when required taking approval of the concerned only.
A National Board of Appeals shall be formed with the experts in the field of building technology and law to solve the dispute arising due to missing provisions, ambiguity or printing mistakes in the BNBC.
A high level committee should be formed to study following some of the critical issues more deeply to formulate the guidelines for smooth and proper functioning of Building office-- Chalking out job description, experiences, charter of duties, responsibilities of building officials, modality of offence or misappropriation for rectification or punitive actions etc. for Building office; and proposing the number of officers, size of local offices based on the rate and volume of construction development for particular areas.
Until the Building Office is established with its full capacity to perform throughout the country, BNBC should be endorsed as a guide to be followed for safe building development through good construction practices.
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