Fri 3 Aug 2007
Rangs Rongo in Flooded Bangladesh and some questions
Posted by Rumi under Environment , News and events , PoliticsBangladesh is now in the middle of an overwhelming natural disaster. At least 60 people (Much higher unofficially) has lost their lives and 6 million people have no food or shelter. Flood has devastated a big chunk of Bangladesh. Business, education, healthcare and normal life have been shattered in 1/4th of Bangladesh. Agriculture live stock loss is projected to reach billions of taka. People, women-children, old-youth are desperately looking for a dry land to rest or cook. The children are hungry. There is no food to eat, not place to rest, no transportation to move.
Finally after two weeks our CA visits a camp in Kurigram after landing in a ‘built for him’ heliport. And while the law advisor asks people to pray to God for reprieve and our generals compete with each other for a photo-op, a thousand hired workers hurriedly launch a crore taka budget demolition fiesta.
Yes, the fiesta to demolish Rangs Bhavan.
As Rangs Bhavan disappears rapidly, questions and concerns remain.
1. Didn’t we hear all along that Rangs Bhavan was built on illegal government land that was supposed to be a main city road? But Supreme Court verdict does not say anything about that. Supreme Court only orders demolition of floors over 60 feet.
2. What’s the use of doing all these court circus when government will ultimately acquire the land by force and demolish the rest of the floors. Government is acquiring it ( per law minister), that means the land was not government land.
Isn’t it something like “I support and agree with the arbitration, but the palm tree is mine”?
3. What will happen to the thousands of employees and their families working in the offices located in that 22 story building? Who will be responsible for their rehabilitation? Has government taken any step to force Rouf Chowdhury to take any step? Does government care?
4. Rangs Bhavan is not the only high rise in North/north central Dhaka. Just cross the street is the Bhashani planetarium, which also reportedly stands more than 60 feet height. Other prominent structures in the same zone are Biman Bhavan within the airport compound, Naval head quarter just south of Airport, all the high rises in kamal Ataturk Avenue, Gulshan # 2 circle and Uttara area.
Why there is a discriminating application of law?
5. And more importantly, Dhaka is one of the most crowded, over populated and overflowing city in this planet. There is severe land crunch. Dhaka must expand vertically from now on. The ages old aviation airspace rule and building code need to be updated to current technology. It is a ridiculous notion that no building over six story would be allowed anywheer near the airport. Then how does New York’s Kennedy airport runs? What about San Diego airport which is sandwiched between sky scrappers and mountains?
Give us a break dear policy makers.
6. What was the rush to demolish an office building of such a magnitude in less than 24 hours notice? Is a road waiting to go into function the next morning? In fact Dhaka people, as I was listening to their reaction in TV today, have exactly that idea.
How many of us have an idea what it will take to build to proposed Bijoy Sharani-Rampura road. This is an satellite image of rangs Bhavan ( Blue roof) and the area behind it. (Please click the arrow on left margin of the photo to view the complete image) There is no road. All are five/six story residential houses. Those must have been built with RAJUK permission. What will happen to them? How long it will take to acquire/demolish all of them?
And this is tejgaon railway yard between Rangs and Rampura. It is not a two lane track, I am talking about 15 track railway yard. Will it be moved? where? Or a 3 mile flyover will be built over it? Don’t we have more important places to build a flyover? Where is the money?
And finally this is Hatirjheel in Rampura. The last remaining water drainage reservoir in Dhaka. There is no way a road can be connected from Bijoy Sharani to rampura without crossing it. It will be a suicide to fill this Jheel to build the road. And an elevated road/bridge over the five mile wide span of the jheel? Does anybody has any idea how much that will cost? It takes us lifetime to build a two lane bridge over a river. And we are dreaming of an at least six lane city road over a five mile swamp? Does our government have any budget or plan on this matter?
Again then why the rush of 24 hours?
7. BTW, how government can be so sure that it could acquire the land of Rangs? What if Supreme Court does not allow it?
8. Law Advisor Moinul Hossain says the building was sign of abuse of power. Sure it was. But a worse abuse of power and arrogance is to demolish it such hurriedly without a national/civic/environmental conversation and then threat to acquire the land.
9. Or would I call it desperation for cheap public support in the face of rapidly dwindling pop
ularity?
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:42 pm
I was given to understand that the floors on top of sixth floor were sold by Rangs Group and Rouf Chowdhury to other parties. So the people who are suffering here are probably innocent and not necessarily the perpetrators of the illegal act. Rouf Chowdhury and Co, who are primarily responsible for all this, probably got all their money back and they still have the six floors on with they have their own offices.
As for the employees working on those floors, I understand the occupants were some large companies, not the employees themselves. I doubt these companies would sack their employees simply because they lost their offices in Rangs Bhaban. The companies are Grameen Phone, Bank Asia, RangsTel, GQ Ball Pen, etc.
I think the need to take down Rangs Bhaban was more symbolic than anything else. It remained in the center of the city as an icon representing abuse of power and a symbol of moral, political and financial corruption. The CTG could not possibly carry on with their anti-corruption crusade with such a flagrant symbol of corruption majestically transfixed in their midst. Especially when they lost no time in evicting the dwellings of the helpless and poor in the early days of this CTG in power.
Farhad
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:59 pm
I am sure, if the rangs bhaban was not demolished, we would have a write up here soon enough saying that how come slums were touched but not the rangs bhaban. I don’t claim to be an urban planning expert, so I don’t know the logistics for the road planning. But I am personally happy to see this symbol of abuse of power go. THese people systemetically have abused the law long enough. 115 crores from the ADB budget has already been allocated for this road. There are 61 residences that will requisitioned. 31 of them are shanties. Sooner this road is developed, the better it is. I am sure Rumi bhai is not suggesting that we allocate all of ADB to flood related costs. There are certainly points to be made about the handling of the flood but to mix it up with the Rangs issue is the best way to do it, in my humble opinion.
August 3rd, 2007 at 5:45 pm
I am a little confused. How do you punish a building? If the reason for taking this building down to 60 feet is for air safety requirements, then public safety requires this building be brought down under the limit. However, if the reason is to take down a “symbol” of corruption, then it is a gross misuse of power.
If corruption built this building, go after the corrupt and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. But it seems wrong-headed, not to mention wasteful, to go after a building. By way of example, when you go after a drug kingpin you confiscate his assets, and then sell them at auction. You dont take all his houses and expensive cars and blow them up.
August 3rd, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Question: Was the building built on government land?
Question: Is thre any other structure in the same zone which is higher than 60 feet?
Question: Why rush the demolition for today while marooned people are crying for shelter?
Comment:
It saddens me when I am accused of mixing flood relief with rang’s Bhavan when it is very appropriate to question governments half hearted flood relief efforts and misplaced priority of RAJUK to demolish RANGS. It is the time when DND area people need two more pump to keep water from touching the ceiling. And DND is withing RAJUK jurisdiction. This is the time when people are guarding embankments in west Dhaka 24/7. They need sands bags in case of embankment collapse.
Or (another question) should we all join the Rangs demolition fiesta, sleep in peace and as law advisor astressed, Allah will take care of the flooded people?
And ( yet another question), have any of us ever set foot in DND residential zone or flood prone Dhaka neighbourhoods like Meradia, east Goran?
August 3rd, 2007 at 6:00 pm
And BTW, I am not urban planning expert either. Thnaks to these urban planning experts, we have a pantha path occupying Begun Bari Khal, and flooded Dhaka with 2 inches rain.
Don’t listen to what ADB says us, look at your own eye what you see in the satellite images.
August 3rd, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Mash,
That is precisely the problem. The undue importance to icons and symbolic gestures. This is not to condone or condemn it in any way. It’s just the way things are with our politics and culture.
Farhad
August 3rd, 2007 at 6:24 pm
The master plan developed during Ershad years was to create the Bijoy Sarani and extend it towards Tejgaon to connect it with Rampoora link road. Bijoy Sharani was built but it stopped where the rangs building is located(then a one storied complex). See the image below — the picture is taken from Bijoy Sarani.
The extension did not take place as Rangs owners whizzled and allegedly bribed its way through govt. The one story shops then quickly started growing. A lawsuit was filed as far back in 1997 by Rajuk which dragged on thanks to more string pulling. While the lawsuit was going on, Rangs kept on growing in height. As if the taller it is, the more difficult it would be to take it down.
So finally judgement has been delivered. In a country where institutions are weak, symbolic gestures are important.
The city does not have east –west link roads. Most of the roads are North-South leaning. Moreover, the vehicle movement is restricted in the Dhaka Cantonment. It is located in an important area, and is one of the problems for the traffic jam on the airport road.
Mash, if it was just taking down a building as punishment, I would have definitely opposed it. But there is something much better that will come out of it. The much needed East West link up will happen.
If you haven’t been to Dhaka lately, you wouldn’t know what a nightmare this traffic situation has become.
Rumi bhai, I was referring to Annual Development Budget (ADB) or is it ADP? Not sure.
Now, regarding the merits of the case, I am not sure if it was built on a illegal land but that’s entirely a separate discussion where I can only dive after getting more details. For now assuming the trial was fair, I can say that this decision will have long term dividend for the Dhaka city.
I do agree that more time to move should have been given. Its totally unjustified. But far more unjust things have happened to the poor people in BD. Perhaps a little bit of balancing is not a bad thing to make the elite realize how important it is to have a rule of law.
Last bit of trivia.
Any city for effective transportation facilities needs at least 25 % roads. But Dhaka has only about 8%.
I am sure there will be a lot of sad stories behind this demolition. But people who bought or rented in that building went in fully knowing the risk element that there is a pending litigation that may cause the building to be demolished.
August 3rd, 2007 at 6:34 pm
I guess the merit of this case is not only symbolic, now that I know a lot more than I did before, thanks to Asif. Though I must admit, symbolic gestures are also sometimes important, if only to set an example and/or as a deterrent.
Farhad
August 3rd, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Also in the master plan was the completion of Pantha path eastward to connect with Biswa Road at Milibag rail crossing. That would have been a better east west thoroughfare. More centrally located, connecting west to down town more efficiently. In fact that road is waiting to happen for the last decade, and no Rangs Bhavan is on its way. While keeping that barren land undeveloped we are running after Rangs bhavan, going miles to destroy it.
Destroying something big always attracts abundant claps. Out of that clap addiction, conquerers historically destroyed many creations, artifacts, structures.
Demolition mania has always overwhelmed minority voices in favor of conservation, productivity and feasibility. I do not anticipate anything different in UV either.
August 3rd, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Asif bhai #7,
More than %age of roads per total area (which is what I assume you were looking at), have you looked at the figures for road area per capita? That’s where it gets really scary.
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Asif, one of the points you raise in your post is the fairness of the trial.
Heres an interesting point to consider: apparently ‘fundamental rights’ have been pleaded in the writ petition filed by Rangs - or in other words Rangs has alleged that the notice served by RAJUK requiring it to demolish the building is in violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed in our Constitution. Now if that is the case, then the Appellate Division should not have heard the appeal in the first place - as the enforcement of fundamental rights has been suspended during Emergency.
The fact that in the case of Rangs, the Appellate Division has heard the appeal during Emergency (and that too 6 years after it has been filed) is hihgly unusual, to say the least.
Of course the papers (DS and Pr. Alo) wont be saying anything about it because they have supported the proposed demolition of Rangs all along - irrespective of whether its lawful or not.
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Asif, I obviously defer to urban planners and safety experts on where to build roads and how high to build buildings. However, when I read the recent BDNews24 article where the urban planners are saying that, yes, if a link road needs to be built, it does not need to go through the Rangs building, but it would be a good lesson to those corrupt people in the future to demolish the building I have to question the science behind such a decision. So, just by reading news accounts, I get the impression the motive is symbolic rather than anything else. So I remain confused - I look forward to getting more clarity in the future.
You are right, Dhaka desperately needs more transportation capacity. The part that confuses me is that the SC ruling says bring this building down to 60 feet. What about the remaining base of the building? How is this road going to go through this building without demolishing all of it? If that prospect is uncertain, then why demolish the top part? Is it because of the aforementioned air safety issue? Is it to reduce traffic congestion due to less occupancy in the building (not sure if that would lead to a measurable reduction)?
So the link road issue may be distinct from the SC order to reduce the height of this building. I’d love to hear more about it from the fellow commenters. Thanks.
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Conversely, the fundamentalists and the reactionaries in our country always understood the importance of attacking symbols, be it in clothes, fashion, culture or language. Anything that had the potential of attaining iconic stature for the progressive forces (and these were far and few between for this group). They understood this better because they benefited immensely from their own set of symbols derived from religion in the form of attire, customs, unique form of architecture, etc. We may not like to admit it, but symbols do play an important part in our lives. So do symbolic gestures.
Farhad
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:20 pm
karm 11
“Of course the papers (DS and Pr. Alo) wont be saying anything about it because they have supported the proposed demolition of Rangs all along - irrespective of whether its lawful or not.”
Are you aware that Abdur Rouf Chowdhury, the owner of Rangs Group, is one of the equal shareholder/director of Mediaworld Limited, the owning company of The Daily Star ?
Farhad
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Due process ( As we all are champion of it)
1. No chance to appeal.
2. While the supreme court order is only to destroy structure above 60 feet, the CTG has already disconnected power, elctricity, phone , cable connection to the whole building.
3. The order was to demolish over sixty feet. We are are already talking about a road through it. Isn’t it a pre judgement that the rest of the building and the land will also be taken by “any means’?
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Rumi,
1. Rangs lost in the appeal. They wanted to file a review petition, which is a redundant act only to buy time. You cannot appeal twice.
2. The ‘power, electricity, phone, cable’ were disconnected for safety reasons, not to enforce any court order.
2. The court placed more emphasis on the aviation aspect, although the road aspect was very much there.
Consider this: In the case of Ekushey we were refused an appeal hearing, contrary to the popular perception that we lost in an appeal in the Supreme Court. Our Leave to Appeal was not granted. This happens only in very rare cases, when a case is so insignificant that the court’s time may be wasted or the applicant (Jamat-e-Islami in our case) places strong arguments against hearing of the appeal. Neither was true in our case. You may understand now why I have so little respect for the courts.
Farhad
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Farhad Vai
1. Yes I meant the review petition. But, to be legally correct, it is the courts authority to decide whether a review petition is redundant and or was not admissible. And I have a feeling thats why there is so much of a rush. the verdict was given carefully on a wednesday afternoon, and the building was forcefully evacuated on thursday and demolition began on Friday. The court won’t open until Sunday. By the time the admissibility of the review petition would be decided in court, the building is beyond rehabilitation.
2. The first six floors are lawful residents and have the right to operate business. On what right govt leaves them without power, water, phone for the estimated 4-5 moths of the demolition?
3. About the aviation aspect, waht about the other offenders, most which are government owned buildings?
Looks like our supreme court has now become a pro CTG activist court.
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Rumi Bhai #15
I am completely agreed with you . Thanks Mash and Farhad Bhai. I will high light some things on that.
Now Asif S #(2)
“if the rangs bhaban was not demolished, we would have a write up here soon enough saying that how come slums were touched but not the rangs bhaban. I don’t claim to be an urban planning expert, so I don’t know the logistics for the road planning. But I am personally happy to see this symbol of abuse of power go.”
Ans: Is it not very emotional Statement ? Do govt have any back up plan. I am just referring the comments of Farhad Bhai-
1#
“was given to understand that the floors on top of sixth floor were sold by Rangs Group and Rouf Chowdhury to other parties. So the people who are suffering here are probably innocent and not necessarily the perpetrators of the illegal act. Rouf Chowdhury and Co, who are primarily responsible for all this, probably got all their money back and they still have the six floors on with they have their own offices.”
Don’t you think If this thing is true actually they have seen the interest of Rouf Cowdhury . So called Symbol of corruption is existed virtually buddy
not on the form of structure then.
Does Govt think about any back up Plan? Half of the ISPS and Mobile operators are bound to down their system because of such things.
By destroying some floors of RANGS building,
policy of the destruction of some slums can’t be validated. This can be emotional logic but not practical.
Plus I spoke to Bangladesh today and I am surprised to know that KG of Potato is 28 TK.
But To us It is very light issue . But spending 10 million + BDT on demolishing luxury is clapped by some part of the society.
Marhaba!
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Review petitions are always accepted. It’s just that the judgments on the review petitions are always upholding the first judgment. To do the contrary is to admit that their first judgment was flawed. It is not the same thing as a higher court overturning a lower court judgment, which is what it was in the case of Rangs. It is the same court deciding their first judgment was wrong. In the history of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh there was not a single review petition judgment that overturned their previous judgment. Ekushey also filed a review petition, but not against any appeal judgment, but so that our appeal is allowed to be heard in the first place. Even that was denied. Nobody asked why.
Farhad
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Very good discussion. Could not have agree more with Asis. S and Farhad.
I wanted to answer some of the issues raised. But Frahad and Asif S has already done that as well.
Is there anything new: While I agree 100% with the demolition, my heart bleeds seeing the wastage of so much of investment. But I will bear the bleeding of heart to define a better tomorrow. On the side, I agree, CTG could have taken little more time or given little more time to the dwellers for shifting + recovering whatever they could. I am definite, there will be many reusable items.
Rumi raises a point of other building in the vicinity. What I think is this: We should first look if those buildings have permit! If they have, they are approved and so legal. If not, same thing should happen to all. Some may argue that why were they given approval, if not Rangs! But that is a completely different issue. So far the users are concerned, they only need to know one thing. Is it approved or not! If the approval is given, it is the responsibility of the authority to analyse all aspects of it prior to issuing the approval.
Anyway, it surely sends a strong signal that none should dare for flagrant violation of law. Justice will come back one day. Like Asif S. said some one would have posted a question: why was it not being demolished despite being illegal. I am afraid, I saw such a comment questioning why was it not demolished so long, in UV of DP. But I might be wrong.
Thanks.
August 4th, 2007 at 12:29 am
The building will remain upto Sixth level. So will the planned road ever be built? This is not more than a pointless and expensive exhibition as Rumi pointed out.
The irony is that the building was legalized in collusion with RAJUK. More than a decade ago I happened to be in the same floor when Rajuk chairman came and took 10 lakh Taka (maybe part of the deal) from Rouf Chowdhury.
For justice’s sake have we now pardoned those within Rajuk? How come they show their might without cleaning their house?
August 4th, 2007 at 1:32 am
FYI: Kennedy airport runs where it does because aircraft are required to come in for landing from the sea to the east. Flight over the city is strictly forbidden– for security and aircraft safety reasons.
Yes, I have a pilots license.
August 4th, 2007 at 2:38 am
1. LTT and similar thinkers
Is this how government sends a ’strong singnal and build a better future:
2. Farhad Bhai:
Today the logic I am hearing in favor of demolishing rangs Bhavan are ; ‘a symbol of corruption’ or ‘ embodiment of blatant disregard to law’ etc. Unfortunately this same logic, same phrases were used to justify closing down Ekushey. Nobody will know better than you how the law was manipulated in favor of the government.
3. #22 Lazarus the licensed Pilot, Dhaka airports also need a one or two sides open, as is the case of most US airports. North, north east side will serve that purpose. There is no logic in keeping whoe Dhaka dwarf on the excuse of an airport.
August 4th, 2007 at 2:49 am
The current CTG obviously prides themselves as a symbol of anti-corruption, so this demolition could be the symbol of tearing down of the Saddam statue!! And that is understable under the condition past govts have subjected the nation.
But if it wasnt for the period in our (anti-corruption) history, I would probably vote to keep the building intact, because of its capital value, in a 3rd world nation - even though it stands on a corrupt location.
In fact, I would symbolically allow the building to be PUBLICLY seized by govt with due notice and national Grand Opening, WITHOUT any destruction, and then
RE-designate the Building “ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION ACC-Bhavan”, so that the symbol of anti-corruption would forever ring against Rajuk & Rangs!
My concept being that the GOVT has allocated so little money to anti-corruption in the last 15 years of budgets - they should now allocate the destruction cost and value of it to ANTI-CORRUPTION.
August 4th, 2007 at 3:37 am
@ Mr. Rumi,
Don’t listen to what ADB says us.
I agree with you. The suggestions come from ADB and misinformed Bangladeshis blame the government. and We do not know that our hands are tied.
For example,
Power setor reform ideas came from ADM. One of the most important condition was to build distribution network.
I will show you why BNP had to go for khamba.
The power sector development loan amount
ADB: 198.9 million dollars
Co-financing 40 million dollars
BD financing - 20.1 million
Total 259 million
November 2001
West Zone Power System Development Project (Reports and Recommendations of the President)
http://www.adb.org/Documents/RRPS/BAN/rrp_31296.pdf
The Project has three components:
Part A: Construction of 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines
and substations in the west zone and the second 230 kV
east-west interconnector between Ashuganj and Serajganj;
Part B: Upgrade and expansion of the electricity distribution
networks in Khulna, Barisal, Jessore, Kushtia, and Faridpur
cities; and,
Part C: Upgrade and expansion of the electricity distribution
networks of eight rural electric cooperatives (Palli Bidyut
Samities [PBS]).
PART # 1
August 4th, 2007 at 3:38 am
Part # 2
Corporatization of the West Zone Distribution Operations of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) : Bangladesh
Fact Finding 07 May 2001 to 17 May 2001
Approval 17 Dec 2001
Amount 900000 US dollars
http://www.adb.org/Documents/PIDs/35486012.asp
34039: Corporatization of the Dhaka Electric Supply Authority
Amount 850000 dollars
http://www.adb.org/Projects/project.asp?id=34039
More info
http://www.adb.org/Projects/project.asp?id=36205
http://www.adb.org/Projects/project.asp?id=36107
What is funny now is that ADB chief is talking about moral high ground. They force us to do things.
BD government successfully fullfilled all the conditions aet by ADB.
August 4th, 2007 at 3:38 am
[please hold off on comment flooding and let others post as well. make your point in limited posts]
PART # 3
Future funding in power generation was conditional on the fullfilment of the proposed suggestions.
For all ADB funded projects go to the following link.
http://www.adb.org/Projects/approvals.asp?query=&browse=1&p=ctryban&ctry=BAN&year=ALL&offset=0
And Moeen was saying the 20000 crore were stolen from power sector. The idiot do not know that Budgeted amount for the power sector was 15000 crore taka that included all the funding that was availed to BD by ADB and the local financing required to support the above projects.
To see all the budget in the last 5 years go here.
http://www.mof.gov.bd/
Can moeen account for the other 5000 crore?
August 4th, 2007 at 4:12 am
Farhad #16
Your comments re Ekushey TV are surprising to say the least:
‘This happens only in very rare cases, when a case is so insignificant that the court’s time may be wasted or the applicant (Jamat-e-Islami in our case) places strong arguments against hearing of the appeal. Neither was true in our case.’
Ekushey, like Rangs, was a symbol of abuse of power. The Ministry of Information granted a licence in favour of Ekushey despite the fact that it did not meet the technical and financial requirements set out in the tender documents. The company that won the bid was not granted the licence because of the intervention of the then PM. If that isnt a strong ground for cancellation of its licence, I dont know what is?
[admin: case of Ekushey discussed at length here http://www.drishtipat.org/blog/2007/03/25/ekushey-tv-what-really-happened/ ]
August 4th, 2007 at 4:33 am
I’ve watching the Rongo on NTV news.
Live update of demolition of Rangs bhaban as half the country languishes in flood water. Makes me wonder what kind of news editors these news channels have.
August 4th, 2007 at 6:10 am
Like many other things the CTG is doing, much of this is symbolic. The argument for the road is in no small part intended to bolster public support by making a “public good” argument. And if and when the road building does go through, and traffic congestion eases, (you don’t have to be a transportation expert to appreciate that) it will indeed be seen as a double gain - a symbolic win against blatant misuse of power, and a very real benefit to the public.
I am not sure I understand what the point is in connecting the floods to the Rangs Bhavan story - are the Rajuk workers supposed to become traan kormokorta now?
Re: “Dhaka must expand vertically from now on. The ages old aviation airspace rule and building code need to be updated to current technology. It is a ridiculous notion that no building over six story would be allowed anywheer near the airport.” - “age old”? Did you see what happened in Brazil recently? How are you arriving at the ridiculousness of the notion? I’m also amused at rebuffing the pilot……..
Re: Your concerns about the railroad yard, addressed at: http://www.bdnews24.com/details.php?id=16565&cid=2. Instead of trying to leapfrog over all 15 tracks, they might, I don’t know, move things a little and try and tackle 2 tracks a little furter down? Who knows - I’m not an expert =P And there seems to be no intention of taking this all the way to Hatirjheel, at least for the time being, which would indeed be a huge environmental disaster.
Re: “But a worse abuse of power and arrogance is to demolish it such hurriedly without a national/civic/environmental conversation” - what is there to have an organised conversation about concerning the demolition? This is a case that has been politicised to the level that judges felt “embarrassed” to preside over. Its not the construction of a new dam, that requires workshops and such - its the acceleration of a judicial process. Like many such accelerations, the CTG is flexing its muscle again, and there is definitely a PR element to this. I agree that there was no reason to can the offices in 24 hours flat though - that was excessive. But at the end of the day, I’m happy to see it go.
August 4th, 2007 at 8:55 am
karim 27
It is obvious you read things very well. We are discussing Rangs here, not Ekushey. Ekushey was used only as an example. Please post your comments on Ekushey in the post for Ekushey that you so correctly pointed out in your above comment. Before that, please read that post carefully. The company that won the bid supposedly is a “Multimode Transport Company” owned by Abdul Awal Mintoo, deemed to be ‘technically competitent’ to set up a telivision channel by a bogus and fake ‘technical report’. Even after having lost the bid, none of the 17 contenders in the tender ever had any allegation against Ekushey, leave alone file a case against them. It was Jamat-e-Islami members who filed the case against Ekushey, neither the government nor the contenders in the tender. Ekushey proved its technical and financial competence through its performance. Common sense will direct people to make their own deductions.
Farhad
August 4th, 2007 at 9:23 am
Rumi,
I do not disagree with you on symbols and symbolic gestures. That’s what I wrote in Comment 8.
However, further facts indicate that it was more than just a symbolic act on the part of the government.
Farhad
August 4th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Rangs bhaban became a liability for this CTG after it demolished all the bostis, shops, hut bazar and many other smaller installations.
If they had not destroyed bostis, shops, hut bazar and many other smaller installations, they would never demolish Rangs Bhaban.
Demolishing Rangs bhaban was no way a demolishion of a symbol of corruption. It was a face saving act on the part of CTG.
August 4th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
In a Third world Country where millions float on rotten rafts for survival, a 22 story building built illegally in the middle of the capital city, close to the Parliament, with bribery and corruption, is NOTHING but a symbol of corruption.
While growing nations have minars, towers and statues as symbols of growth and prosperity, built with promises and dreams - the Rangs Bhavan was instead built with ghoosh, illegal permits, tax evasion and the money that should have gone to the poor.
Doesn’t that make the Rangs Bhavan a symbolic minaret of corruption, or do we still want to boast such a structure next to our Parliament?
We MAY want to keep it to house other govt assets, but the building will still remain a symbol of corruption.
August 4th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
abarzigay 33
You are spot on about what I am trying to say. This what the issue is all about.
Farhad
August 4th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
I can not yet decide what to do after hearing one more latest joke from moeen shab.
It has been flooding for almost a month. Moeen himself and the chif advisor, fakruddin only for the second time in the last 30 days gone out to distribute relief among flood affected ppl.
only twice in 30 days and started shouting and blaming others for his stupidity.
http://www.amardeshbd.com/detail_news_index.php?NewsID=124735&NewsType=bistarito&SectionID=home
He has been lecturing ppl from air conditioned rooms in sheraton, he is now teasing others who are doing the same.
He has taken ershad’s rout. He is now advising ppl to eat only one in a day. couldn’t he spend one crore taka that is being wspent to demolisg rangs bhaban after the flood was over so that this money could be spent to help flood affected ppl.
Mr. moeen, the way you have been demolishing and taking ppl out of employment, with the rising prices ppl will be able to eat even once in a day, anyway. So, do not worry. Talk less and help ppl
moeen shab Go out every day. not twice in 30 days. Do your part, we will do ours.
August 5th, 2007 at 6:03 am
Completely agree with post #7 (Asif. S)
August 5th, 2007 at 6:12 am
comments of layperson from banglacricket.com (slightly edited)
Why isn’t anybody talking about the politicians who are refusing to help the flood victims on the premise that there is a state of emergency now. They can help as individuals instead of trying to help under the banner of AL or BNP or for political gains. That is what Gen Moeen is emphasizing too that they should all just come forward and help the flood victims and not just lecture from five star hotels about how the state of emergency is not letting them help the flood victims. This is indeed pathetic from the politicians but nothing unexpected as far as I am concerned because they never take a step forward without thinking about their gains. They are just trying to leverage the flood and use it against the state of emergency.
August 5th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Folks, do you really think a government works by dropping everything when there’s flooding? What about where there local priority is not flooding(most of the country)?
The CA’s have been going around the country frmo the start, its us web sitters who may be neglecting our duty.
If a road goes through Rangs does that make the moakhali flyover a bit pointless in retrospect? Maybe we cold turn it into a golf course, solar panel, temporary (floodproof)housing. take your pick.
Rang’s temporary loss, is their new hired location’s gain
In the move there will be employment for a lot of transportation workers.
Come folks, its not as if they manufactured anything of national or local technological consequence. imported/badged cars and white goods for rich people .. Oh!
August 5th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
hahaha,
Who was doing politics with flooding?
After bashing characters of politicians yeaterday, Genenal Moeen just today instead of distributing relief items to flood affected ppl, he was distributing prizes to player.
why, somebody else could not do it?
August 5th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
#33: Agree with you - this is a face-saving gesture for 2 reasons: (1) earlier eviction of slums, (2) gov’ts corruption crusade is losing steam and support, as it has become clear to what extent pure political interests have dictated it.
So the government needed a big move to galvanize public support again, and Rangs provided the opportunity and the symbol.
For cynical observers, it may also be a case of trying to divert attention away from CTG’s helplessness against the floods.
For me, the biggest problem with this is not the need to construct a road there (which seems reasonable) but really the way the government gave basically one and a half days to vacate 16 stories of businesses, which is an inhuman crime to the thousands of people (some say 19000, most of them probably innocent of corruption) who work in those businesses. But that’s not surprising, because that’s the way the military commissions running the country have been doing things (e.g., arresting someone, putting them in jail, seizing all documents, and then asking them to give an accurate wealth statement.) And then, Mainul Hosein blatantly says he won’t go after the corrupt Rajuk people. That’s also not surprising because CTG has been highly selective about whom to go after.
It’s a purely authoritarian military government, it acts in an authoritarian way.
August 5th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
#41 - “It’s a purely authoritarian military government, it acts in an authoritarian way.”
—–
It has often been said that what is needed to clean up crime and corruption is “danda-tantra” - and I dont disagree with that too much. The military might be providing just that.
Some authoritarianism is more necessary than loosy-goosy “shadhinota”, which only leads to chaos and primitive anarchy, which the pre 1/11 “democracy” managed to establish.
My hope is that the NEXT POST-ELECTION govt will not only be a democracy-driven one, but also a progressive AUTHORITARIAN, anti-corruption bunch of admin.
August 5th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
If CTG is demolishing Rangs Bhabon for ‘face saving’, isn’t it also true that no previous Bangladesh govt. did commit any such ‘face saving’ acts which could, at least, prevent the nation from becoming the world champion in corruption???
August 6th, 2007 at 12:44 am
Nobody demolished bosti, small markets, shops, hawkers so nakedly as this govt. did.
AL tried once and had to stop it in view days cose Dr. Kamal filed a petiton.
August 6th, 2007 at 2:58 am
#42 (KGazi), you’re able to hope for progressive authoritarianism (if there is such a thing) because you probably don’t know what’s going on under the anticorruption drive, how decisions are made, who’s targeted and why. Just one example (we don’t want to digress too much from the Rangs topic): ACC had clearly stated earlier that no one under investigation would be allowed to “whiten” their money, but they’re allowing Khaleda to whiten hers! What’s the logic? Dig deeper than what you see on the surface my friend…
August 6th, 2007 at 8:05 am
I would like to note few things people might not be aware of:
1) Virtually whole Dhaka knew about the road to be built where Rangs bhaban stands. Its like putting a huge tower in Zia Uddin lake.
2) Saying that, Rangs building still went ahead and built them. Its like slap in the face for the regular public.
3) Successive government failed to act on this issue for some reason.
4) The owner of Rangs group donated huge no. of cars for election to Ershad/BNP/AWL. (Unconfirmed sources)
5) Knowing all these, other companies went and bought those stories. Also they knew pending court case.
6) Everyone involved were well aware of corruption, court case for years and had ample time evict, sell, etc.
7) There were also illegal VOIP activities in that building.
Please don’t show any sympathy for these crooks by saying “due time to evict”, because any honest person knew there was bhejal with Rangs. Why did all these companies set up in such an obvious fraud building?
August 6th, 2007 at 10:18 am
There is nothing going on under the anti drives corruption. It is our nature to find the fault in every body, no matter how good or bad they are. Whatever the rumour is going on about the CTG, they are nothing but propaganda by the crook people to save their skin. The people who were arrested all are well known corrupt people including SH. No matter what is the intention of the present army back CTG government, general public has full support of arresting these crooks who just brought the country’s economy in the edge of destruction. We don’t need to focus who is going to take the power, rather we need to see who is doing the good work for the country.
August 6th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Demolishing slum is justified if you see it from the different angle. Slum is the centre of all the drug business and all the crime lord (mastan) hide themselves in the slum to avoid police harassment. So to minimize the crime in all the city government started demolishing the slums. But when they realize, from the humanitarian aspect, it is not right decision they stopped doing so. This is the good side of the current CTG government as they have the guts to accept their mistake and change their decision accordingly.
August 6th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
MRA (#47), I’m not in the habit of posting rumours. I know from first hand sources about $$ being exchanged to buy-sell-hold different ACC cases.
#48 and others defending the demolition of Rangs: It’s probably worth repeating because this is the mistake made time and again by people who blindly believe the government. Our gripe is NOT against rooting out corruption. If SC has declared Rangs Building illegal or if slums are centers of illegal businesses (as MRA rightly points out), it also cannot be denied that they are homes and jobs of legitimate people too, which is exactly why it’s easy to hide corruption/illegal activities within it.
Our (i.e., critics’) gripe is rooting out corruption or really carrying out any prosecution in a way that respects the rights of the innocent. All the arguments in favour of due process that appear in DP or newspapers are essentially about protecting the innocent. Whether its Rangs or slum eviction or ACC’s special tribunals or publicly identifying people as corrupt or anti-state even before they’ve been proven so, the CTG has an absolutely indefensible and woeful record in protecting the innocent.
August 6th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
While all this debate is going on, I wanted to check the pulse of democracy, though possibly not absolutely representative, but definitely speaks what educated people are thinking. I am assuming, those who surf the net and read and vote online have minimum education:
Here is some objective fact if some one would be interested to know what people think, the people, for whom is democracy, by whom is the democracy, of whom is the democracy. Enjoy.
Rangs Rongo - Destruction: What people thinks / wants and not individual?
DP Poll so far:
73 out of 92 favoured destruction. That is a whopping 79%. Only 18% opposed the destruction while 2% has no opinion.
Prothom - Alo Poll:
76% agrees that Rangs was a symbol of flaggrant violation of rule of law and abuse of power.
22.25% thinks it is not. 1.18% has no comments.
What should we infer from above: What should Government do when all we espouse is democracy and fight for is democracy!
After all, in my opinion Democracy is not selective to our whims and individual desire.
Thanks
August 6th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
#50,
Againt this a little too below you LTT.
This polls does not mean a thing.
1. After 1971 16th december, 99% people would have supported open air torture of razakars like those public bayonetting by Kader siddiqui, or hanging in trees, slicing skins and putting salts ( Believe me it happened in abundance).
2. If you put a pole in your website ask how many wil support immediate public hanging of Khaleda or Hasina, you will get another whopping result in favor. And for sure, respectd UV patrons like you, Hasi, KGAzi, AhbabAziz, Kawsar Jamal etc will start jumping to execute the hanging immediately.
And that’s why ( Because civilization includes LTT, KGazi, Ahbabaziz, Hasi, Kawserjamal etc.) democracy did delegate this decisions in the hand of a court of law, not at the hands of rowdy street or popular vote.
Historically a crime have been punished by a cour, after hearing both sides of argument and after examining all the evidences. A public opinion poll is a whole different thing.
Ask all who voted in favor, they all want a road through it. I do want that too. But the court decision that enabled the governmnet into embarking in such a spectacle, does not permit a road, it only asks to removed floors over sixty feet.
August 6th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
‘A public opinion poll is a whole different thing’… Disregarding the public poll you are trying to imply that we choose the wrong political party in the last three elections…hmm finally a veracious comment was made
by a person who relentlessly criticizes this CTG all they ever did in the last 6 months.
August 6th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Irrespective of our political belief can we all send our one or half day salary to the Chief Adviser’s Relief Fund for helping out flood victims?
August 6th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
Rumi:
There is nothing below or above, as I always said nothing absolute. Every thing is subjective. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Hatred as well lies there in. So does a rational mind as well as a prejudiced one. Not to indicate how you see! That is for you to know, not mine.
Anyway, to put you at rest so that you have a sound sleep without worrying what I am thinking, here is my two cents: I put the figure there as I found it on line and very much relevant to the topic under discussion to show what people are thinking about it. It is for individual to have their opinion.
“And for sure, respect(e)d UV patrons like you, Hasi, KGAzi, AhbabAziz, Kawsar Jamal etc will start jumping to execute the hanging immediately.” - Not sure about others, You could have asked me my opinion with out imposing your opinion on mine.
If you want to know, next time please ask me. Will you!
I shall answer definitely. Then we can have an academic and knowledgeable discussion based on true individual thoughts and not imposed assumption of what others may think.
Imposing your thought on mine is too presumptuous. Isn’t it, Rumi! You are educated to know this. and what manipulation of thought is all about. You are manipulating my thought and possibly of others by assuming what some one else may think.
I haven’t delegated the authority to put your thoughts into mine. Neither will I. I can articulate it myself. Don’t feel bad. This is truth, black and white. What you are doing, is a sort of intellectual corruption. Assuming my thought without waiting to ask me! Don’t get mad. I am not accusing you of intellectual corruption, yet, as you might have done that out of enthusiasm of opposing almost every thing that CTG does. I am just pointing out that it may appear like that. My writings are never personal. Never will it be. I have respect for individual even he / she thinks different than mine. I also have respect for you even though we disagree many a times.
You wrote: “This polls does not mean a thing.” - Really! Assuming you to be right, you may do one thing.
Let at least DP know this true gem of statistical discovery. That, it means nothing. Why to put up a thing that means nothing! We can agree on that. Won’t we! I know you can’t control Prothom-alo and such like all national dailies who are doing this “mean nothing poll” day in and day out. Neither you can control the people who have education enough to read online daily and voice their opinion. But with DP you may start and request not to put up things that means nothing, hence misleading people like us, who might have thought that DP indeed was doing a good thing by giving a tool to know what most people are thinking.
As for poll: Just a bit of statistical lesson for mutual benefit. When sampling is done, no estimator (for sampling it is called estimator, which is known as parameter of population) is never perfect. Because sample when taken from population will never mirror the population exactly. In that case it becomes population itself. Hence there is many criteria to find out the strength of sampling estimate. Like sampling error, confidence interval, Z-score, standard deviation, variance, so and so forth. Without complicating, statistics does accept simple sampling as one of the methods, if not the perfect one. However, it also acknowledges its limitation. Hence comes much more scientific sampling like for example, systematic sampling, stratified sampling etc etc.
The crux is this: Even though public poll conducted through online voting is not at all perfectly representative ( I did highlight that in my comment, didn’t I!), statisticians have never out-ruled this weakest measure of sampling outrightly, the way you did.
By the by: if it may help you fathom my thinking as you are trying to do that, here is a little of my own:
# 1: “Ask all who voted in favor, they all want a road through it.” : I am one who also voted for its removal. Don’t know about others. My reasoning has got nothing to do with the road, in fact road was not at all in my mind. I find - it is a blatant, disgraceful violation of law that epitomized corruption. So when Supreme Court rule for its destruction, I could not have agreed more. This at least show you that not all want a road thorough it. P.S. I would have loved CTG to give some more time or to take care of it in some other innovative ways.
# 2: “If you put a pole (I guess you meant poll) in your website ask how many wil(l) support immediate public hanging of Khaleda or Hasina, you will get another whopping result in favor.”
First I shall never put up such a poll, it is below my intellectual learning and because of my respect for the national leaders. Secondly, I don’t think, under present situation, any of them did such a blunder to deserve what you indicated, i.e, hanging. While both of them had their mistakes, they have their share of successes. Both of them went through lots of turmoil in life, sacrifices, and they have my sympathy for that.
In fact, I am thankful that I started visiting DP, as it is the discussions here that made me tolerant of their mistakes. You had been referring your personal witness of the misdeeds of XYZ in another thread, that you can’t deny as you are the personal witness.
I am personal witness to the misdeeds of one of the leader and her party that you cannot even dream of what to talk about think of! Neither will I talk about it openly at the moment, so spare the trouble asking me. And still I did not give up hope in AL/BNP.
Thanks
August 6th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Dear LTT
As UV believes in freedom of speech, you and your friends can write as much as you want.
But one request, please make it reasonably short enough so that I can read. I simply don’t have the time to read your epic comments. Please help me by rewriting a shorter version. Thanks.
August 7th, 2007 at 2:11 am
Rumi - I am totally against corruption, and totally against death penalty. I was against the hanging of Bhutto, and even Saddam. Seizing property and banning politicians for corruption is one thing, and hanging them is another. MOST people in BD, even sufferers of corruption, will never support the hanging of SH or KZ, so that comment is totally invalid.
Maf Koira Den #45 - no matter how IMPERFECT the actions of CTG anti-corruption appear, no matter how convoluted their measures - we cannot forget how DESTRUCTIVE to BD was the corruption of previous govts. It is corruption we have to attack, not their supporters, and not the CTG measures.
We must all recognize the damage that corruption has done to BD, and therefore support all anti-corruption measures, and all those who support anti-corruption, in a crusade against corruption. This is why:
1). The title of most corrupt nation was earned by BD only for one reason - lack of action against corrupt, corruption and their expansion.
2). Unlawful poor bostis and bazars were not only filthy places of severe disease and infestation, but they were centers of DRUGS, crime, and MASTANI, most were connected to MINISTERS, LAWMAKERS, and crimelords, some of whom are now in jail, or their accounts frozen.
3). Bostis were the low-tech slums. Ground level crime, disease, child-trafficking, rickshaw drug-dealing, mishuk burglaring, were all based here.
4). Rangs Bhavan was an example of HIGH-TECH SLUM, which bred top-level crime and corruption including illegal VOIP, drug trade, gold smuggling, land-grabbing, forest-thieving and govt fund stealing.
5) High and low-tech slums were spreading and mushrooming fast, but because ministers were themselves involved in their extortion, no action was being taken against both type of slums by previous govts.
Farhad and abarzigay - To stop the UNCHECKED mushrooming of slums - both low and high level, the army/CTG had to show ACTION against corruption, and out their foot down - and not just lip service. Just as poor slums were pulled, so rich slum had to be pulled too, so that a MESSAGE is sent to aspiring criminals that the operation is real.
There is no “face saving” necessary in pulling Rangs, because pulling the bostis down was a necessary clean-up operation, to protect the MAJORITY citizens, by demolishing the infestation of drugs, crimes, mastani, trafficking, and disease, which had been left unchecked to mushroom for at least 15 years. And pulling Rangs down is a parallel clean-up operation.
The destruction of Rangs Bhavan is THAT symbolic move against corruption, which shows that the govt means business. This symbolic act will pass a (however small) message across criminals and corrupt that BD is not a place for messing around, but a place which is serious against criminals and corruption. THAT is the SYMBOLIC GESTURE long overdue since liberation, and that is what we must support - no matter which govt rules.
August 7th, 2007 at 3:28 am
Almost none from Bangladesh, quite naturally in view of its history, can imagine a clean govt. ruling over the roost there. So, its natural, too, that many people are sure about the ‘black money’ of the promoters of 1/11, though they do not have any proof to this effect.
August 7th, 2007 at 6:11 am
[...] citizen witnessed demolition of a 22 storied Building (Rangs Bhaban) televised live. Unheard Voices raises some pertinent questions: What was the rush to demolish an office building of such a magnitude in less than 24 hours [...]
August 7th, 2007 at 7:49 am
Looks like Prothom Alo is asking what MKD has been saying…how does Khaleda and Saifur get to whiten their money and others can’t ? Is this a case of selective anti-corruption drive?
http://www.prothom-alo.com/index.news.details.php?nid=OTU0Nw==
August 7th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
KGazi (#56), You once again totally missed the point of MKD. The critics here are NOT against the anti-corruption drive. To quote that again (please read it slowly), the need is to do it: “in a way that respects the rights of the innocent. All the arguments in favour of due process that appear in DP or newspapers are essentially about protecting the innocent.”
The wholesale approach you suggest is exactly what was “destructive” in BD politics before, to use your word. The opportunity to set things right is not just by getting the corrupt to justice but also by getting the government to respect due legal process. That’s really what needs to change in BD - not one without the other like before, but the two things together. If you disagree with that, then like LTT might say, we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
Siraj (#59): I also agree with you. Once you start loooking, it’s becoming more and more clear that the government is not at all even-handed. I’m glad Prothom-Alo wrote about it, didn’t expect that from them. This is not a minor imperfection of the CTG, it’s a fatal flaw. There’s some disturbing plans going on.
August 7th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Purana paltan # 60,
I am aware of the MKD comment, but my point is that our govts NEVER HAD a regular due process for corruption which the CTG can follow, so a proper system does not exist. Every process encountered is ad hoc - make as you go - coz previous govts never created a reliable system for due process.
What you and MKD are talking about is “due process”, like Aspirin from pharmacy when the body is in normal healthy condition, and what I am talking about is more INVASIVE SURGERY as Emergency treatment for a FINAL STAGE cancer patient, if I may compare.
BD never had any treatment in anti-corruption, and the disease has spread and advanced to critical, so the neglected, badly maintained system is now in Intensive Care - where ordinary medicine like “due process” will not work.
So this EMERGENCY CTG govt is now having to perform invasive surgery, where both good and bad organs, guilty and innocent members must be removed in order to save the life. The condition is a total crisis.
Likewise, sieving through guilty and innocent among a bosti or Rangs Bhavan, as you suggest, for due process, does not happen in invasive surgery, those are only regular maintenance activities (like Aspirin), which should have been done during the last 15 years, while civilian govt was in power, NOT NOW when the patient is on the emergency table, and the corruption situation is life-threatening. Now the bosti must go, and Rangs too, including good bad and ugly members of the area.
Hopefully, the system will be paved for the future govts, AFTER the invasive surgery, so that conducive environment will be developed where due process can be established, in the parliament, off the streets, in the courts - without hartals and boycotts, but with congenial cooperation of govt, judges and law enforcement.
Until then - I see little alternative but invasive surgery, and I agree with the CTG actions.
August 8th, 2007 at 2:19 am
While putting its selected people in jail, ACC allows Khaleda and Saifur to pay taxes, even saying anyone under investigation and their relatives won’t be allowed to “whiten” their money. While trying to force Sheikh Hasina and AL out, basically the party that went through fire trying to convince the country about the last 5 yrs of misrule, now ACC/BB is allowing even Tarek and Koko to pay taxes to “whiten” their money. See report in Amar Desh:
http://www.amardeshbd.com/detail_news_index.php?NewsID=125205&NewsType=bistarito&SectionID=home
KGazi, I am sympathetic to your desperate hope for rooting out corruption. But that doesn’t mean we should have the ostrich syndrome, burying our head in sand and pretending all is well with “invasive surgery.”
After letting off Khaleda, Saifur, Tarek and Koko (and remember: the latter two looted the country off not one or two but thousands of crores of taka), there should be little doubt left as to how corrupt this military regime’s own anti-corruption process has become. Watch out for more details and revelations in the coming days.
August 8th, 2007 at 3:51 am
Maf Koira Den #62 -
If the invasive surgery fails and KZ, TZ, Koko and Company are let go - then THAT will be the “due process” that exists in BD.
August 8th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
From Daily Star:
“The Supreme Court (SC) today turned down Rangs Group’s plea for a stay on the Appellate Division ruling that ordered demolition of the top floors of the controversial Rangs Bhaban.
A five-member Appellate Division bench rejected the appeal at about 9:15am and ordered for a six-storey Rangs building from the ground floor.”
For anyone who was interested about the outcome of appeal process.
Thanks
August 8th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
64#
Unfortunately the building demolition could not wait until this final verdict from the supreme court. In fact this verdict came at a time when a significant portion of the building has been taken down.
And where is the provision for road in the verdict? A question was raised before, what guarantees that supreme court will give verdict in favor of takeover of a government approved 6 story building ( per the current supreme court ruling)?
August 8th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
And this apparently is our first sacrifice at the alter of corruption.
Rush! Rush!!
More important than tackling flood, more important than ensuring worker’s safety and safety of people working and living adjacent to Rang’s Bhavan.
Who will be responsible if part of denuded rang’s bhavan collapses over the residential area below Rangs Bhavan?
Now, after the demolition has started and exposed the building precariously, they are calling for tender from demolition companies?
This is what you call it Khichuri situation.
**********************************************
Worker dies in fall from Rangs Bhaban
Dhaka, Aug 8 (bdnews24.com)—A worker, who was splitting Rangs Bhaban, died after he fell off the building Wednesday, police and witnesses said.
Sohrab Hossain was working on the 12th floor of the building on Bijoy Sarani, tearing down an inner partition.
Officials tied to Rangs Group of Industries said it happened because the city development agency, Rajuk, did not take adequate safety measures for the workers engaged in demolishing the top 16 storeys of the 22-storey building.
But Rajuk magistrate Emdadud Dastagir saw it as a mere accident.
The worker fell when he was working with others at 2:30pm to pull down an inner partition of the floor.
A chunk of a broken wall came flying over Sohrab, causing him to fall off the floor, co-worker Aminul Islam told bdnews24.com. Islam said he saw the entire scene.
Monowar Hossain, head of construction for Rangs Properties Ltd, said they had been complaining that the way Rajuk was conducting the demolition was risky.
A security cordon with a safety belt for the workers is mandatory in such a case, he said.
Rajuk also lacks expertise in doing such a job, he said.
But Dastagir, although it was not clear if he has any background of engineering, disputed Monowar’s observations.
Dastagir said such safety measures were not necessary since the workers were just removing the inner walls of the building.
The city developer seeks bidders to bring down the outer frames. Safety measures will be taken after a firm is appointed to finish the rest of the demolition work, Dastagir said.
Tejgaon police sub-inspector Ashrafuzzaman said a case was filed and the body was sent for an autopsy.
bdnews24.com/gma/rhn/jr/2140 hours
August 11th, 2007 at 12:23 am
The building was at least a 1000 ft south east of runway 35. i can see where it would be in the way of an incoming aircraft on the base leg of an approach from the east since 22 stories would be around 220 ft and most aircraft at a 1000 ft from the threshold would be more around 50 - 100 ft in the air. However, this can be easily solved by only allowing landings and take offs from the west side (a lot of airports dictate this to allow for noise abatement) since the east side looks densely populated. whats strange is that Bhashani planeterium which is 60 ft tall is right in the way of the final approach ? does this mean runway 35 is never used ?
regardless, since thousands of people have jobs in the building there should have been more consideration given. obviously one days notice doesnt make sense - it looks more like made for public consumption.
August 11th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
According to the papers the Rangs Bhaban did have a permit to build to 22 floors but the permit was later retracted.
Does the govt have any evidence of corruption that they would like to present to the people before calling it a symbol of corruption and misuse of power?
August 14th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Rangs must have bribed someone to make that 22-story permit, in a non-permit area.
That itself is the evidence of corruption.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
My dear Kgazi,
I have no doubt that bribe money was required .. but ALL buildings from 2 storey to 22 storey have their plans with bribe money. Do you want to destroy all of them?
For that matter most driving licenses are processed by corruption. So are passports. Trade licenses … I find it hard to think of any normal government paperwork processed without corruption.
Should we destroy all that too? My question is why single out the rangs building?
August 18th, 2007 at 1:03 am
for that matter then the houses of airport customs officers (we all know what kind of bribe we pay at the airports), police officers, government officials etc etc should also be demolished since there was some bribe money involved. in fact since the entire country is well known to have run on bribes (as evidenced by inclusion at #1 on the most corrupt list of TI for past several years) we should probably demolish half of the residences in Dhaka.
Listen people, bribe or whatever, you dont go around destroying the infrastructure of your country and making thousands of people jobless when the unemployment rate is already in the 30 %s. as they say an eye for an eye and we will all be blind. in fact, scaring off the leading industrialists in the country with their technological and managerial experience will not help. anyone remember what happened in cambodia: pol pot; started off with the leading businessmen then all the intellectuals…..
August 18th, 2007 at 6:04 am
hi mr. rumi
i am fahad bin mahbub. i work in ranks-itt and my chairman and coo has been through your article on rangs(rangs rongo). We are very eager to meet you on this regard. can u provide us with your mail address so that we can exchange our view points or might come to the rangs building and meet us face to face.
thank you
August 24th, 2007 at 12:47 am
Dear Mr. Fahad,
You and you COO and chairman should be talking to those who SUPPORT and are actively asking for the destruction of the building like KGazi and Hasi and clearing matters up.
I don’t see the point of inviting those who OPPOSE the destruction of the building for discussions.
In my opinion, no infrastructure should be destroyed if it already exists. Rather spend the destruction budget on construction of better infrastructure.
December 10th, 2007 at 8:22 am
[...] Bhaban demolition in 24 hours notice was termed as a symbolic victory over corruption. Look at this blog and read in the comment section how the early supporters of this military drooled at this fiesta of [...]
December 15th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
why are civilizations cutting down forests and making farms or highways, etc. why don’t you lot scream & shout when the slums of dhaka are burning year after year? why so much debate about a building of a rich man/men which when demolished could reduce the traffic congestion of a growing city which desperately need roads & good traffic management. a leader has to step up and draw up plans of solutions to problems… there were thousands of slum population who have added to dhaka’s immense floating populace.fast forward to today i think the question now should be why is it taking a week to rescue 10 dead bodies from inside the building? their lives seem to be worthless in front of a mere building…