Planners Blame RAJUK, CAAB for Buildings Near Airport

Photo: Collected

Urban planners have strongly criticised RAJUK and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) for allowing the construction and continued presence of Milestone School and College buildings—and other densely populated establishments—within close proximity to Dhaka airport.

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday at Planners Tower in the capital, members of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) highlighted these concerns following Monday’s fatal jet crash into a Milestone School building in Uttara.

The planners stated that both the 1995 Dhaka city urban plan and the proposed Detailed Area Plan (DAP) have overlooked essential airport safety regulations. As a result, they said, lives and property are being put at serious risk.

BIP Joint General Secretary Tamjidul Islam explained that buildings should ideally be kept far from airports, regardless of structural integrity. If any establishments are permitted within a four-kilometre radius of a runway, they must follow strict height and population density regulations—requirements that are widely ignored near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

He said such establishments must be below 150 feet in height and should not attract large gatherings. Religious institutions, schools, and hospitals—which naturally host crowds—should be located outside this zone, he added.

Tamjidul stressed the need to relocate highly populated structures and reduce the height of others that exceed permitted limits. While some buildings may have passed structural safety checks, he warned that unless they comply with aviation safety regulations, the risk of air disasters would persist.

BIP President Adil Muhammad Khan went further, alleging that several buildings near the airport—including some Milestone School structures—failed structural safety assessments and received approval through corruption involving bribery and abuse of power.

He noted that the affected school area was a wetland when the 1995 urban plan was approved, and landfilling for construction began in 2002 with the consent of various government agencies, in violation of global standards.

Adil blamed former officials from RAJUK, CAAB, the Education Ministry, district administration, and the city corporation for approving the construction and for their role in the tragic deaths of more than 30 students in Monday’s crash.