The authorities concerned on Monday decided to demolish the unauthorised portions of six hazardous buildings of Priyanka Runway Society at Uttara in the capital to ensure smooth flight operation.
The decision was taken during an inter-ministry meeting at Housing and Public Works Ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat.
As per the decision, the affected individuals will receive compensation and those responsible for giving approval on faulty designs will bear the cost.
The meeting also directed the authorities concerned to settle the issues within a week.
Representatives from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, the developer company and building owners were present at the meeting.
The Times of Bangladesh earlier ran a story on the issue.
Priyanka Group Chairman Saidur Rahman Sajal told TIMES of Bangladesh that the meeting decided those responsible for constructing the extended portions of buildings and flats without proper approval will pay compensation to the affected parties.
“In this case, the Civil Aviation Authority will bear the cost. The Priyanka Group obtained approval from relevant authorities for the construction of buildings on the land and those who deviated from the approved plans will be fined for violating regulations,” he said.
He further stated that the buildings were constructed with the approval from the CAA and any unauthorised extensions will be demolished.
In the project near the airport, some 14 actors and actresses, including Masum Bashar and Mili Bashar, have purchased flats in a building named Vertical-2.
Other celebrities such as Himu Akram, Saurabh Rahman, Nabila Islam, Chanchal Chowdhury, Shamim Zaman, Niloy, Shyamol Maula, Samia Athoi, Saju Khadem, AKM Hasan, Nazia Haque Arsha, and Arfan Ahmed also own flats there.
Many of these flats are 1490 square feet in size, with expensive interior designs costing over a crore taka for each flat.
These flats, booked in 2019, were registered in 2024 after all payments.
Chanchal Chowdhury said he still does not know about the compensation issue and the property owner will inform them about the decision.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) said that there are 106 flats in total six buildings of Priyanka Runway Society at Bawania area.
Of the buildings in the project, 87 flats have been identified as hazardous, and the remaining ones will also need to be demolished in phases.
CAA member (Air Traffic Management-ATM) Group Captain Noor-E-Alam said that the buildings were not constructed on the approved plots. The irregularities were unearthed through the investigations conducted by the Survey of Bangladesh and RAJUK.
“Those responsible for illegal construction will bear the demolition cost, as Civil Aviation regulations do not mandate compensation for such violations,” he said, adding that the height policy was not followed during the construction of other 87 buildings in the area.
During the construction of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, tall buildings near the airport were identified for review.
Letters were issued for the demolition of extended parts of six buildings in Priyanka Runway City.
Following a tragic plane crash on 22 July at Milestone School and College in Uttara, which killed 35 people, the CAA began revising the “Obstacle Limitation Surface” (OLS) for nearby buildings.
The building constructed on Plot 13 was initially approved for 82 feet, but it was built at around 102 feet. The CAA later amended the height to 60 feet.
The building on Plot 30, named Mayakabya, was approved for 7 floors, but 8 floors were constructed. The extra 33.43 feet, including unauthorised roof installations, must be demolished.
The building on Plot 9, approved for 5 floors, was constructed with 5 and a half floors, and the CAA has issued a letter asking the removal of 17.76 feet of unauthorised structures.
On 28 May, the CAA informed that the six buildings in Priyanka Runway Society exceeded the approved height limits, posing a threat to aviation.
Consequently, they have issued a letter to RAJUK to demolish parts of the buildings.
Saurabh Rahman, managing director of Priyanka Runway Society and owner of Vertical-2, said that he constructed the building according to the original height approval letter from CAA in 2019.
Now, the CAA has revised the height policy, he said.
“I am willing to remove unauthorised rooftop installations. But the question is who will compensate him if the entire 8th floor needs to be demolished due to Civil Aviation’s error,” he said.
Other buildings in the project also face similar height violations. One of the owners, Rezayul Islam, said that the additional unauthorised parts would be demolished, but he intends to take the matter to High Court if no compensation is provided.
RAJUK Chairman Riazul Islam said that the mistake was made by the CAA and Priyanka Runway Society followed the approved plans from CAA, which also acknowledged this in meetings with RAJUK.
“It is natural that the affected parties will demand compensation. RAJUK is working so that the affected people can get some compensation,” he said.
Earlier, a meeting was held on 22 July at RAJUK’s office with the participation of Chairman of Priyanka Runway Society, representatives from CAA and flat owners. To ensure smooth flight operation, the height issue was discussed at the meeting.
The CAA said that the HSIA was upgraded to Category-2 on 20 July. In the past, pilots had to see the runway from 232 feet away when landing, but now, according to international law, the distance is reduced to 132 feet.