RAJUK Chairman Engineer Md. Riazul Islam announced that 3,382 under-construction buildings in Dhaka, which have deviated from approved designs, have been identified for demolition of their illegal portions, and action has already begun.

He made the remarks on Monday (April 21) during a city dialogue titled “Dhaka: A City of Problems – Which Way to Solutions?” organized by the Urban Development Journalists Forum at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium.

The RAJUK chief said instructions have been issued to halt work on these unauthorized structures. Gradually, their non-compliant sections will be demolished. The first phase includes disconnecting utility services, filing criminal cases, canceling approved designs, and sealing buildings if needed.

He stated that all the identified buildings under RAJUK’s jurisdiction violated construction rules in some form. “We will demolish any portion that doesn’t conform to the rules. As long as I hold office, this process will continue. Whether by demolition or through other means, we will bring them into compliance,” he said, adding that mobile court drives are being regularly conducted.

Emphasizing the need for a unified urban authority, he said, “Unless Dhaka is brought under one umbrella, even the best urban plans will fail. All service-related decisions—be it water, power, or gas—must come from one central body, whether that means forming a city government or empowering a single mayor.”

Regarding already completed but non-compliant buildings, he said those will be addressed later, as it’s not possible to tackle everything at once. However, he assured that no under-construction project will be allowed to deviate from the rules. He also confirmed there are no current plans to allot new plots, but instead, RAJUK will recover encroached plots to create affordable housing for lower- and middle-income groups.

The event was moderated by senior member Khaled Saifullah and chaired by the forum’s president Matin Abdullah. The forum also launched its publication “Dhakai” magazine and unveiled a book by senior member Helimul Alam Biplob titled “Dhaka’s Canals on Their Dying Breath: An In-Depth Look at How the Capital’s Waterways Are Being Choked.”