Demolition of BGMEA building starts

Staff Reporter: Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) finally started demolition of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) building at noon on Wednesday.
Public Works and Housing Minister SM Rezaul Karim inaugurated the demolition work of the building about 12:30pm.
The minister said journalists that this building was constructed in an unplanned and unlawful way, which was harmful for the environment as well as for the city.
The minister labelled it as a `tumour’ on the beauty of the Hatijheel.
He said that two teams have been formed to look after the demolition work. One team comprising representatives of BUET, Rajuk, Fire Service and Army and Urban planning experts who will monitor the work. Another team of Rajuk will monitor the work regular basis.
Sources said that the demolition work may take six months to complete.
Following a court order, Rajuk took the responsibility to demolish the building in April last year, which used to be the BGMEA headquarters.
However, Rajuk was forced to delay the project as the bidding process for the rights to demolish the building was drawn out.
In April last year, the appellate bench of the Supreme Court ordered the BGMEA building be demolished after April 12 this year.
The court termed the erection as ‘a cancer on the Hatirjheel project’ as it blocked water flow between Hatirjheel lake and the Begunbari canal.
The BGMEA building, constructed on two bighas of land, has a total space of 2.66 lakh square feet; the association owned 1.40 lakh square feet of this space. The rest was sold, leased or rented out to different individuals or companies.