Over 1,000 people have been living dangerously in about 100 risky and dilapidated buildings in the city.
Declared risky and abandoned by the Public Works Department (PWD) and Khulna City Corporation (KCC) in 2004, these buildings could not be demolished due to interference of some influential politicians and businessmen, sources said.
Besides, a section of officials at the district administration, KCC and PWD are creating obstacles to knocking down the buildings, according to the source.
A high-level committee formed on June 10 in 2004 by KCC identified 60 buildings as highly risky based on a survey and recommended their demolition.
Then it served notices upon the owners to vacate their building within a month for demolishing. But only two buildings were knocked down in January, 2006.
Since 2004 another nine-member committee has written several letters to the public works ministry to sell 15 highly risky buildings, including Khulna district jail building, on the list. But nothing has been done in this regard.
KCC Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque said now the number of risky buildings is about 100.
The city corporation has the authority to demolish the buildings if the owners do not vacate those within the given timeframe, the mayor said.
While visiting West Mekot, Kalibari and Ferryghat roads in the city, Ali Asgar Khan and Afsar Nikari told this correspondent that the residents get scared during the stormy weather.
A high official at KCC said the buildings on the list could not be demolished due to lack of coordination among the Public Works Department, district administration and Khulna city corporation.
Two persons were killed in roof collapse of a two-storied building on Mahendra Das Road on July 20 last year while two others seriously injured in wall collapse of another building on Ferryghat Road on March 13 this year.
The two buildings were on the list of KCC made in 2004.
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