Habil Uddin, Bagha ( Rajshahi )

There have been allegations of construction of multiple buildings without the approval of the municipality in the Arani Municipal area of Bagha upazila of Rajshahi. Locals claim that the construction of buildings continues without the approval of the municipality's prescribed design, on the one hand, there is a loss in the revenue collection of the municipality, and on the other hand, the risk of unplanned urbanization is also increasing.

According to the Local Government (Municipality) Act and the prevailing rules, it is the responsibility of the Municipality to formulate and implement urban development plans including infrastructural development and building control for the purpose of providing municipal services to the citizens in the municipal area as per Section 50(1)(c) of the Local Government (Municipality) Act 2009. In addition, the responsibilities of the Municipality in construction, reconstruction, completion of buildings, alteration of buildings and building control are mentioned in the second schedule of the same act in items 35,36,37. Building/Establishment Design
It is mandatory to obtain design approval from the relevant municipality before constructing any building in a municipal area. However, there are allegations that some people are constructing buildings ignoring this rule.

Local citizens say that the municipality is being deprived of a significant amount of revenue due to unauthorized construction of buildings. At the same time, there is a risk of complications in the future in roads, drainage systems, fire safety, and planned urban development.

In this regard, Mr. Mrigendranath Debnath, office assistant of Arani Municipality, complained that a person named Pintu Ali is constructing a multi-storey building in Arani Purbapara next to his relative's land without the permission of the municipality. He claimed that the matter is considered risky and illegal as the building is being constructed without following the rules and regulations of the municipality.

However, it was not possible to get the statement of the accused Pintu Ahmed regarding this allegation. If his statement is received, it will be published with due importance.

Meanwhile, locals have urged the Arani municipal authorities to take necessary legal measures, including strengthening regular monitoring against unauthorized building construction, issuing necessary notices, and operating mobile courts as per municipal laws.
In this regard, Arani Sub-Engineer Sohel Rana said that notices are being processed to approve the owners of unapproved buildings.