Mashiur Rahman Selim, Cumilla South

Public anger is steadily mounting over the rapid growth of unplanned infrastructure across three municipalities and surrounding upazilas in southern Cumilla, encompassing greater Laksham, Nangalkot, and Barura. Despite massive government allocations for various development projects, vast areas continue to morph into unplanned settlements while local authorities remain largely indifferent.

Local media and administrative sources report that construction over the past year has completely lacked meaningful architectural planning. Disregarding government regulations, individuals have been erecting buildings haphazardly. Although approximately BDT 500 crore is currently being channeled into development projects across the three municipalities to push them toward smart city standards, the oversight role of municipal and upazila authorities remains largely nominal. Consequently, these areas are turning into congested quarters, depriving over one million residents of standard civic amenities.

Violations of building construction rules and regulations frequently subject neighbors to severe distress. Many structures are built without leaving mandatory setbacks, while oversized balconies, cornices, and sunshades create acute traffic congestion and public movement hazards.

Multi-storied buildings and permanent structures are mushrooming without proper access routes. In many instances, construction materials such as bricks, sand, cement, and rods are loaded and unloaded directly on main roads and carried to the work sites on workers' heads. Because streets are obstructed by vans or small pickups serving these buildings, emergency vehicles like fire trucks or ambulances cannot enter during fires or medical crises.

Insiders note that while globally recognized engineering standards dictate that modern buildings should achieve maximum water efficiency, high electrical savings, and structural resilience against up to 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, many buildings and commercial spaces in southern Cumilla's municipalities fall woefully short.

Moreover , these structures generally lack high-efficiency circulation, rainwater harvesting, proper ventilation, underground surveillance, closed-circuit cameras, and access control systems. Although the Building Construction Act of 1952 was amended by the government into a comprehensive framework in 1996—outlining strict guidelines for building approvals, government fees, architectural designs, road distance clearances, and the prohibition of deviations under section 3(K)—enforcement remains weak.

Critics point out that irregularities and financial mismanagement inherited from past administrations continue to plague development projects, with locals demanding thorough investigations into every scheme. A municipal survey conducted three to four years ago identified approximately 500 buildings across the three municipalities and upazilas as hazardous, yet little action has been taken.

Officials from the three municipalities cite severe manpower shortages as a major hurdle in taking enforcement action.

According to historical municipal layouts, if authorities were to strictly enforce regulations along roads acquired by the RHD in 1920, portions of at least 500 multi-storied buildings and thousands of older structures built 1 to 8 feet beyond legal boundaries over the past two decades would face demolition. Although authorities have attempted such crackdowns on multiple occasions, implementation has mysteriously stalled.