In the Agargaon neighborhood of the capital, there is a fourteen-story structure. It has glass walls all around, but instead of a typical concrete roof, there is an iron structure on top. In the event of a fire, a high-rise building like this needs emergency steps for evacuation, but the structure lacks them.
The building houses the directorate of posts’ offices as well as a few other initiatives. This tower is usually occupied by at least 700 officials and staff. According to some involved, the building’s fire protection system is quite dangerous, and a fire might claim a large number of lives.
At a cost of Tk 920 million, the red building, known as Dak Bhaban, was built on a quarter of an acre of land. It was opened in 2021 and was shaped like a post box.
Within two and a half years of its establishment, the authorities discovered a number of flaws and discrepancies. Due to design problems, medium-sized vehicles are unable to enter the basement parking lot, which results in automobiles being parked carelessly in front of the building. The road that leads to the basement is now undergoing renovations.
Furthermore, within a few years, cracks appeared in multiple locations around the building, and plaster is occasionally coming off the walls. There have already been a few damaged bathroom doors and locks.
This correspondent visited the building and saw the state of affairs firsthand. Additionally, the Planning Ministry’s Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) has reported on similar difficulties. Last month, the study was formally issued.
In 2014, the government decided to construct a post building in Agargaon, which was expected to cost Tk 550 million. Its goals were to guarantee effective administrative operations and enhance the post directorate’s reputation internationally.
With a total cost of Tk 920 million, the building was expected to be finished in 2017, however the deadline was postponed by two years.
Despite the building’s completion in July 2019, it was not used for two years since officials and staff were hesitant to relocate from Gulistan’s general post office (GPO) to Agargaon.
On April 4, 2021, Prothom Alo released a report on the subject. Later, on May 27, the structure was officially opened by the government.
Ground observations
This correspondent discovered a daycare center on the ground floor of the building on Sunday while touring it. But it wasn’t being used, and the equipment that had been bought for it was sitting there doing nothing. A significant wall crack with flaking plaster was discovered in a ground level driver’s restroom. The postmaster room, which lies next to it, was in the same state.
Despite being the post directorate’s headquarters, there isn’t a canteen here. Officials were observed bringing food from the Bangladesh Coast Guard canteen and the neighboring BNP market. The absence of a canteen has angered some officials, who claim that it wastes working hours and that some people take advantage of the situation to take it easy.
Speaking with at least ten post directorate officials, it became clear that although the building appears magnificent from the outside, the interior is quite different. They were worried that a fire might result in a catastrophic situation and voiced worries about the absence of fire protection measures.
Although the issues were discussed at many meetings, nothing has been done about them as of yet. They questioned why millions of taka were spent on the construction of such a dangerous edifice.
Regarding this, the building’s director, Riazul Islam, who is currently on post-retirement leave, acknowledged to that although the building’s appearance is stunning, it has technical issues.
He claims that he started working on the project when half of it was finished. If a fire starts close to the stairs, no one will be able to get out. During the building process, aesthetics were prioritized over fire safety.
In order to reduce the risk, the authorities now need to install a second staircase outside the structure, he continued.
The IMED report
Through the use of Innovative Engineers, a third-party company, the IMED assessed the construction project. Its investigation claims that before building the facility, the post directorate failed to secure the required fire service approval.
Later, when they applied for approval, the building was subject to certain requirements, such as constructing an exterior stairway and leaving the top level unoccupied.
Nevertheless, the requirements were not met. On the fourteenth story, an office was observed being set up. The floor has been leased to the information and communication technology division’s Access to Information Program (A2I), according to Altafur Rahman, a director of the post directorate. For them, the office is being built.
SM Harunur Rashid, the post directorate’s auxiliary director general, responded to Prothom Alo’s question by saying, “The building has two staircases for fire safety.” One is for everyday use, while the other is for evacuation in an emergency. Although the building was not intended to have a roof, we will create accommodations for exterior steps if necessary.
Data from the fire department indicates that there were 27,624 fire incidents nationwide in 2023, resulting in hundreds of fatalities. The “Green Cozy Cottage” on Bailey Road in Dhaka caught fire on February 29 of last year, killing over fifty people.
Shaheedullah and Associates designed the post building. According to the IMED study, it was built using inferior materials.
The Bangladesh Institute of Planners’ president, Adil Mohammed Khan, claimed that the building’s plans were incorrect when it was built. He wondered how a design like that could go through so many phases. Prioritizing aesthetics over people’s lives is pointless.
