Razzak Plaza at Savar sealed off for cracks

SAVAR, June 26: A multi-storied building at Savar housing two ready-made garment factories has been sealed off after cracks developed on the building.

The eight-storied Razzak Plaza, situated near Savar bus stoppage and opposite to the collapsed Rana Plaza, was sealed off on Tuesday morning after a news about cracks on the building by a local television channel.

Following the news, Savar upazila administration went to the building and sealed it off.

Jubian Sweater Factory is housed at the 7th and 8th floors, while Al Muslim Garments Ltd is housed at the third, fourth and sixth floors of Razzak Plaza. There are as many as 287 shops from the ground to the second floors.

Demanding access to the building, shop owners, employees and garment workers held several demonstrations in front of Razzak Plaza blocking the Dhaka-Aricha highway in the morning. When Nazmul Hossain, correspondent of the television channel, went to cover the news in the morning, he was severely beaten by the shop owners and employees. Later, police rescued him.

The local upazila administration and BGMEA officials went round different floors of the building from 9am to 12 noon. Later, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Quamrul Hossain Molla told journalist that the building had an approval of eight-storied construction. The building has been constructed accordingly. But a brick-made canteen was set up at the rooftop of the building. Some cracks have developed there. However, no cracks were noticed at any portion of the building. Besides, there is a tower of a mobile phone company at the rooftop.

He said the building and shop owners have been requested to submit a prayer to the Department of Civil Engineering of BUET. "If the BUET experts declare the building risk-free, we will open it again," he said.

BGMEA`s deputy secretary Engr Abdul Khaleque said it was not felt that the building might be collapsed. However, cracks developed at the extension of the rooftop of the building. Next steps will be taken according to the recommendations of the BUET, he said.

There are three owners of Razzak Plaza. Of them, Oli Ahmed claimed that their building is not risky. "There are no cracks in anywhere of the building. An undesirable situation has been created by broadcasting motivated news on a television," he said.

Besides, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) ordered closing down all the garment factories situated at the building.

Hearing the news of cracks on the Razzak Plaza, officials of the local administration went to the spot and closed down the building. There are several garment factories situated at the building.

It is learnt that the Razzak Plaza will be opened after examining the cracks by the experts from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).