Bangladesh is a crowded country with a low national income, which has to endure more than its fair share of natural disasters. That is what makes the collapse of the eight-story building in the capital Dhaka this week all the more unacceptable. It is an unnatural disaster, which could easily have been avoided. The full details of the tragedy have yet to emerge. What is, however, certain is that at least 70 people are known to have died and the death toll seems sure to rise as more bodies are pulled from the debris. A fortunate few may have survived the collapse and be trapped in pockets where the structure has not given way completely. However, for these unfortunates there are hours of torment and danger, because the movement of the rescuers above them could cause their fragile refuges to cave in. One other thing is clear beyond any reasonable doubt. This building was not properly constructed and was very probably built illegally. It stands to reason that if a property has not had official permission, no building inspectors will have examined the plans to ensure that the proposed structure will be safe. Moreover the job of the building inspectors should not end with signing off of a set of plans. They also have the task of monitoring the construction, to make sure the builders are conforming to the approved designs and are using the right materials. When, however, businessmen choose to flout the law and erect unauthorized buildings, the main considerations are speed and cost-savings. The appalling reality is that this disaster is now almost normal in Bangladeshi cities, particularly Dhaka. If it is not structures actually collapsing, it is fires that break out which, because of often nonexistent fire-precautions and safety exits, result in terrible loss of life, particular in garment factories. And unfortunately even buildings that were once properly approved are caught up in this scandal. This is because over the years extra floors are added to structures that were not designed to take the extra weight. They therefore not only become unsafe, but because their foundations begin to move, they damage the services below the streets around them. The action of landlords in throwing up these dangerous buildings is nothing short of criminal. With every new collapse or deadly fire, they are guilty of manslaughter. Yet the record of the courts in prosecuting these callous individuals is pathetic. At worst, fines have been imposed which, according to one Bangladeshi campaigner, even if they are ludicrously small, are very often still not paid. The answer has to be for the courts to start taking these offenses much more seriously. Judges should be imposing custodial sentences and if a landlord reoffends, these jail terms should be long and harsh. Rich businessmen who exploit the system should not be able to bribe their way out of the consequences. Once it is seen that there are genuinely severe consequences for their disgusting behavior, they will start to change their ways. It is equally important that officials properly administer building regulations. In many ways, their offense is the greater because their job is to protect the public by enforcing the regulations. Whether through laziness or because they have been bribed these officials are betraying themselves and just as importantly their country. Their crime is therefore greater than that even of the landlords who put money before safety.
