The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mamunur Rashid

The under construction 37-storey City Centre, the tallest skyscraper in the city's commercial hub Motijheel, developed cracks forcing several banks and companies to vacate their offices yesterday.

A number of cracks were found on the walls of the ground floor of the City Centre building, housing offices of important banks and companies including Standard Chartered and HSBC banks and Grameen Phone.

Standard Chartered Bank officials were the first to detect the cracks on the building, when they were engaged in interior designing of their office and informed the authority of the matter.

Part of the building's western side has sunk causing the brickwork to cave in, while the front of the building has developed cracks. The building has begun sinking well before completion, said witnesses.

Mayor of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Sadek Hossain Khoka, visited the site yesterday evening and said that the building was being 'examined.'

Khoka also said the DCC had informed the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and the Army Engineering Corps of the matter.

"The cracks, which were found yesterday, were the cracks on the false walls. The main structure of the building remains safe. The Engineering Corps of the Army will visit and examine the building today. Experts from BUET will also examine it," said the DCC Mayor.

The brick wall of the first two storeys was badly affected, but the building on the whole was not damaged, he added.

On how the situation would affect people who had their offices in nearby buildings, Khoka said, "We are giving more importance to security of life and property than to the building itself. Everything is being done to ensure security."

However, he refused to term the building 'risky' ahead of any expert opinion.

The Centre was designed to comprise 37 floors of office space, a convention centre, a business lounge, gymnasium, food court, recreational areas and a large car park.

The Orion Group is developing the site, which is also a partner of Belhasa-Accom that constructed the 7-star hotel Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

Belhasa-Accom, the third lowest bidder, was awarded the work order for the construction of this building, after disqualifying the first and second lowest bidders on grounds of design flaws, sources said.

KM Nurul Islam, Project Director of the city centre, said 20 storeys have already been completed of the Tk 100 crore project. The DCC owns the entire space from the basement to the 10th floor and the remaining space by the construction company. All office spaces in the building have been sold in advance.

The Chief Engineer of the DCC Col Asfaqur Islam said earthquakes might have caused the cracks on the building.

The DMP Commissioner Nayeem Ahmad visited the cracked building and said, "Security in and around the building has been beefed up to make sure no life is lost and the law and order maintained."

At a press briefing at Hotel Purbani yesterday evening, officials of the construction company assured that the main structure remains safe despite the cracks on the false wall.

This assurance has done little to assuage the fear that has gripped the occupants of the offices on the three sides of the City Centre, the Uttara Bank Head Office, Janata Bank Tower, Karim Chamber, the BCIC and National Life Insurance buildings.