Dhaka: The mayors of Dhaka’s two cities have urged building owners to keep parking spaces in each commercial building in two cities of Dhaka.

They came up with the appeal at a discussion on ‘commercial ventures in residential areas’ organised by Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) at Gulshan Club on Monday.

DNCC mayor Annisul Huq said the owners should keep aside specific places on the ground floors of commercial buildings for parking purpose. ‘If the basement is used for other purposes, it should be vacated within a month,’ he said.

Venting anger at Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), he said although the development regulatory authority of the capital city approves building plans with conditions to ensure so many facilities, it never checks how a building is being constructed.

The DNCC mayor also said no one can run business in residential buildings in the areas, including Gulshan, under his jurisdiction without Rajuk’s permission.

Meanwhile, Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain said many commercial establishments were constructed in residential areas taking advantage of Rajuk’s negligence.

He also said an effort is underway to wake sleeping Rajuk up.

Mosharraf said necessary steps will be taken to remove commercial and business establishments from the residential areas after discussions with the city two mayors.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokan and Rajuk chairman Joynal Abedin, among others, spoke at the programme.