Dak Bhaban: Tk 920m building has no roof, stairs for fire security 

There is a fourteen-storey building in the capital’s Agargaon area. It is surrounded by glass walls, but there is an iron structure on top, instead of a conventional concrete roof. Such a high-rise building requires emergency stairs for evacuation in case of fire incidents, but the building has no such facility.  

The offices of the directorate of posts and some other projects are located in the building. At least seven hundred officials and employees regularly work in this tower. Individuals concerned said the fire safety system in the building is extremely risky, and a fire incident may lead to loss of a significant number of lives. 

The red structure, which is familiar as Dak Bhaban, has been erected on a quarter of an acre of land at a cost of Tk 920 million. It, designed in the shape of a post box, was inaugurated in 2021.

The authorities encountered various inconsistencies and defects within two and a half years after its opening. Medium-sized vehicles cannot enter the basement parking area due to design flaws, leading to cars being parked haphazardly in front of the building. Now, the road approaching the basement is being renovated. 

Moreover, cracks developed in several places throughout the structure within just a few years, while plaster is falling off the walls here and there. Some washroom doors and locks have already been broken.

While visiting the building, this correspondent witnessed the condition firsthand. Besides, these issues have been mentioned in a report by the planning ministry’s implementation monitoring and evaluation division (IMED). The report was released formally last month. 

The government took an initiative to build a post building in Agargaon in 2014, at an estimated cost of Tk 550 million. It was aimed at ensuring efficient administrative activities and brightening the image of the post directorate on the global stage. 

The construction was supposed to be completed in 2017, but the deadline was extended by two years, with the accumulated cost reaching Tk 920 million. 

Although the construction was completed in July 2019, the building remained unused for two years as officials and employees were reluctant to move from the general post office (GPO) in Gulistan to Agargaon. 

Prothom Alo published a report in this regard on 4 April, 2021. Later, the authorities inaugurated the building on 27 May of the year. 

While visiting the building Sunday, this correspondent found a day-care center on the ground floor. However, it was not in use, and the equipment purchased for it was lying idle. A restroom for drivers on the ground floor was found to have a large crack on the wall, with plaster peeling off. Adjacent to it is the postmaster room, and the situation was identical. 

Although this is the headquarters of the post directorate, there is no canteen. Officials were seen carrying food from the nearby BNP market and the Bangladesh coast guard canteen. Some officials vented anger over the lack of a canteen, saying it leads to waste of working hours and some take advantage of the situation to slack off.

Conversations with at least 10 officials of the post directorate revealed that the building may look impressive from the outside, but the interior tells a different story. They expressed concerns about the lack of fire safety arrangements and feared that a fire incident may lead to a dire situation. 

The issues were discussed in different meetings, but no action has been taken yet. They questioned why such a risky building was constructed at the cost of millions of taka. 

In this regard, Riazul Islam, the director of the construction project (now on post-retirement leave), admitted to Prothom Alo that there are technical flaws in the building, despite the beautiful exterior. 

According to him, he was engaged in the project when 50 per cent of work was completed already. Nobody will be able to escape if a fire breaks out near the stairs. In the construction process, beautification was emphasised more than fire safety. 

Now, the authorities must construct a separate staircase outside the building to mitigate the risk, he added. 

The IMED evaluated the construction project through a third-party firm named Innovative Engineers. According to its report, the post directorate did not obtain necessary approval from the fire service before constructing the building. 

When they approached for approval later, some conditions were placed for the building, including leaving the top floor empty and building an external staircase. 

However, the conditions were not fulfilled. It was seen that an office is being set up on the 14th floor. In this regard, a director of the post directorate, Altafur Rahman, said the floor has been rented out to the access to information programme (A2I) under the information and communication technology division. The office is being constructed for them. 

Asked about the issue, additional director general of the post directorate, SM Harunur Rashid, told Prothom Alo, “The building has two staircases for fire safety. One is for regular use, and the other is for emergency evacuation. The building was designed without a roof, but if external stairs are required, we will make arrangements for them.”

According to fire service data, there were 27,624 fire incidents across the country in 2023, causing hundreds of casualties. On 29 February last year, more than 50 people lost their lives in a fire at the ‘Green Cozy Cottage’ on Bailey Road in Dhaka.

The post building was designed by Shaheedullah and Associates. The IMED report noted that substandard materials were used in its construction.

Adil Mohammed Khan, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, said the building was constructed with flawed designs. He questioned how such a design passed through so many stages. There is no point in prioritising beautification over people’s lives.