Residential areas in capital turn into commercial ones

Hasan Imon

The residential vibe of the elite areas in capital like Gulshan, Banani, Uttara, Banshashree has been lost. Commercial establishments have been built in the residential buildings of these areas. In some of the buildings, there’re shopping malls in the half, while residential parts in the rest. Moreover, in some buildings, there’re restaurants, hospitals, diagnostics centers etc.

Most of the building owners build risky establishments defying the rules of proper approval. On the streets of some residential areas, residential come commercial complexes have been cropped up. Some of them took approval of residential plus commercial structures, but using the whole establishments as fully commercial ones. Hence, the residential vibe of these areas has been changed.

Four restaurants are located in a seven-story building on Kamal Ataturk Avenue on Banani Road no. 10. There is Taj Mahal Takeaway, Haji Biryani on the ground floor, Mejbani Lounge on the third floor, Coffee cafes on the seventh floor and rooftop. The commercial building has an elevator and a narrow staircase. Similarly, Banani's Star Kebab Restaurant is spread across three floors of a multi-storey building on Road No. 17. The fourth floor houses the community center. The restaurant has underground car parking. Just opposite to this restaurant, there located House of Basmati. The location of this restaurant is on the ground floor and second floor of this multi-storied building. The kitchen is on the left hand side to the entrance, where there is cylinder gas. The kitchen is built just below the stairs. The stairs are very narrow. There is no place for people to get down from the second floor in case of fire or accident.

The situation is the same in Gulshan. A restaurant called 'Beyond Buffet' is located on the seventh floor of a building near Gulshan-2 intersection. Here you have to enter the restaurant lobby directly by lift. There is no way to tell where the emergency exit stairs are, if you look for it. As a result, if there is a fire here, the guests coming to the restaurant will be in trouble. Gulshan and its surroundings are now dotted with various types of commercial buildings. Some of them have been converted into residential plots and commercialized, while some residential plots have commercial buildings constructed without permission. Residential hotels, offices of various agencies, shopping malls, restaurants in rows of high-rise buildings have lost their individuality. Same situation prevails in Banani residential area. There are many commercial establishments in various roads around Banani Bazar. Most of these are going on in residential plots. Various commercial establishments including Chinese restaurants, hospitals, health centers, medical services, restaurants are located in Banani Road No. 6, Road No. 12, Road No. 12/A, Road No. 13/A, Road No. 13/B, Road No. 13/C, Road No. 13/E, Road No. 15, Road No. 17, Road No. 21, Road No. 22, Road No. 27 and Road No. 28. Same scenario is visible in Rampura Banshree and Dakshin Banshree areas. The 10th floor of a market building in Dakshina Banashree is being used as a shopping mall from the bottom to the fourth floor. And the upper flats are being used as residential ones. At the same time, one half of a building on road no. 1 in block H of Banashree is a nursing institution and the other half is a residential flat. Apart from this, establishments in many residential areas including Uttara, Dhanmondi, Mirpur, Khilgaon are being used as commercial buildings. It is being used both for commercial and residential purposes. Although the Capital Development Authority (RAJUK) has residential and commercial approvals in some residential areas where there are 100 feet roads, however, Rajuk's order in this regard has been violated in many residential areas. Residential and commercial establishments are constructed without the approval of the organization.

In this regard, Ashraful Islam, chief urban planner of Rajuk, told The Bangladesh Pratidin, “Commercial activities are being conducted in many residential buildings, which is completely illegal. Restaurants have been built there with approval in the name of residential buildings, but they do not have commercial approval. We have taken the initiative to take effective measures in this regard. At the same time, companies which have given trade licenses, water lines, and electricity connections without seeing the design, RAJUK has already written to the companies asking them to cancel the trade licenses, water connections and electricity lines.”

He further said that mobile court would be conducted from Monday against those who are continuing the activities in residential areas despite not having commercial approval.

In this regard, the Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka North City Corporation, Mir Khairul Alam, said, “The granting of trade licenses to residential and commercial establishments in Dhaka North City Corporation area has been stopped for a long time. And those who are doing business activities are doing it unethically.”

He also said that DNCC conducts mobile court to monitor whether the building has fire prevention equipment or not, but it will be conducted more strictly from now on.

(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on March 4 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque Khan)