Dhaka: The unregulated expansion of commercial and industrial establishments and construction of houses in rural areas using farmlands is going to pose a serious threat to the environment, fear experts.

Talking to UNB, local government expert Tofail Ahmed said villages are being turned into ‘rubbish’ as there is no government control over building industrial establishments and houses there.

‘The problem will take a more dangerous turn after 10-15 years,’ he said adding that villagers are constructing houses and factories using agricultural land ignoring rules, let alone sanitary measures.

As the croplands are giving way to various types of buildings it is creating eventual environment concerns, Tofail added.

He said nobody can construct a house on agricultural land according to the land law. ‘The authorities concerned such as the deputy commissioners, do not to exercise any direct control over such transformation of agricultural lands and the construction of building in villages.’

Tofail Ahmed suggested that the government should formulate a land use policy for rural lands as well as establish a housing authority for monitoring whether the rules and regulations involved are being obeyed by properly.

‘Upazila Council and Union Council chairmen can give permission for the construction of buildings in villages but they have no logistic support to monitor those,’ he added.

According to the Housing and Public Works Ministry, the government has a plan to form a regularity authority for construction of buildings at district, upazila and union levels other than towns.

After the incident of Savar Rana Plaza collapse, the Housing and Public Works Ministry had issued a directive for forming district-level committees, led by deputy commissioners (DCs), following the recommendation of the cabinet, official sources said.

The ministry has a plan to form the upazla-level committees led by upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs).

According to the sources, nobody would be able to build a house over seven-storey one without the permission of the district committees.

The ministry, they said, has also started preparing a guidebook on the activities of the district committees, including building designs. Zila Parshads will also be given power to monitor the land use.

Contacted, Housing and Public Works Minister Mosharraf Hossain told UNB, ‘Actually, I’ve no jurisdiction on housing or building construction affairs at rural level. I’ve no knowledge about the monitoring there.’

The minister said the local government should keep watch so that no one can construct buildings using agricultural lands and ignoring rules.

He said it is a massive and complex work to form an authority in a bid to regulate the construction of buildings across the country. ‘I think the problems might be solved by enlarging the jurisdiction of Dhaka, Rajshahi and Chittagong development authorities to monitor the activities across the country. Besides, a policy should be made in this regard,’ Mosharraf said.

‘No housing and economic zone can be built on agricultural land as per as the Prime Minister’s directive,’ he added.

According to the (draft) Agricultural Land Protection and Land Use Act 2015, the country’s agricultural lands will be protected by the law and nobody can construct any house, mill, factory, brick kiln or any other non-agricultural infrastructure using croplands.

Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), Chittagong Unnayan Kartripakkha and Rajshahi Unnayan Kartripakkha monitor building constructions in their respective areas. The other city corporations and municipalities across the country may give permission for the construction of buildings.

Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (Bapa) general secretary MA Matin said huge housings, mills and factories are being built using agricultural lands in village in an unplanned way. The government should take steps soon in this regard, he said.