CDA engrs, planners at loggerheads
Engineers and town planners and architects of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) are divided over the issues of working area and responsibility relating to architectural designing and plan approval.
The division surfaced when CDA submitted a proposal on July 21 in 2009 to change some articles of the new building construction (BC) rules.
In the proposal CDA wanted BC rules to allow the diploma engineers (alongside architects, civil engineers and diploma architects with five-year experience) for architectural designing of structures up to five storeys and civil engineers (alongside architects) for architectural designing of structures up to 10 storeys.
The engineers said keeping diploma engineers outside the architectural designing of buildings up to 5 storeys deprived them of proper evaluation and the intended building owners of easier and cheaper service.
Involvement of only architects in architectural designing of building with six storeys or more would keep the intended building owners hostage at the hands of a few professionals, said the CDA engineers on condition of anonymity.
The proposal prepared by engineers also stressed recasting Brihadayatan Prakalpo (Special project) approval committee with either chief engineer replacing chief town planner in the president post or an executive engineer replacing the senior architect in the member secretary post. In both the options they wanted inclusion of two superintendent engineers in the member posts.
They also wanted an engineer, if senior and more experienced, to coordinate implementation of a project where both engineer and architect are engaged.
On the other hand, the town planners and architects claim having studied engineering in five-year semester they are efficient enough to make structural design and even in the USA architects are allowed for structural designing of buildings up to eighth storey.
But, the BC rules entrusted both the BSC engineers and diploma engineers with making structural designs of building up to five storeys and only BSC engineers with membership from concerned professional organisation (Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh) for six-storey building and above, they said.
Architects or planners never went to put up any objection or wanted to get engaged in structural designing or construction works since it's not their jobs, said the architects and planners.
Architectural designing by a diploma engineer, who is supposed to supervise or assist construction, is even not recognised officially, they said.
They said non-involvement of diploma engineers in architectural designing won't make any problem since there are around 100 CDA enlisted architects to do the work.
If chief engineer is made president of Bripro committee the organogram has to be changed since both the architects and town planners are under the control of chief town planners, said the architects and town planners.
The town planners and architects, however, agreed with the engineers to the latter's proposal for increasing FAR (floor area ration) and Maximum Ground Coverage (MGC) according to the width of road and non-renewal of occupancy certificate unless there is any alternative use.
When contacted CDA Chairman Abdus Salam said the committee formed to examine the proposal are working on it. He said they expect the BC rules would be changed following recommendation of the committee to ensure best service of the city dwellers.
Mentionable, a committee headed by Chief Architect ASM Ismail Hossain of Directorate of Architect has been formed to examine the proposal and submit recommendations in this regard.
Other members of the committee are Deputy Chief Architect Quazi Golam Nasiruddin, Buet Pro-Vice Chancellor Habibur Rahman, former Cuet VC Engineer Mozammel Haque, Institution of Engineers Bangladesh, Chittagong President Delwar Hossain Majumder, Institution of Architects Bangladesh (IAB) General Secretary Nazmul Latif Sohel and CDA Acting Chief Town Planner Shahinul Islam Khan.
The committee is expected to submit its recommendations in this regard at its next meeting next month, said the sources in the committee.
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