Final notice to 1,269 buildings: septic tank and soak well work must start by 15 November or face mobile court
The Ministry of Housing and Public Works has directed that owners of buildings whose approved designs include provision for a septic tank and soak well must start the construction work by 15 November 2026.
The direction was given on Wednesday at a meeting of the technical committee formed to keep the lakes in the Rajuk area pollution-free and ensure environmentally sound management. The meeting was held in the conference room of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
The meeting discussed the existing pollution situation of the capital's lakes, identifying the sources of pollution, improving water quality, waste and sewage management, and the need for coordinated action by the agencies concerned to protect the ecological balance of the lakes.
The meeting decided that the list of the 1,269 buildings that have been served final notice to build a septic tank, soak well and sewage treatment plant (STP) will be supplied to the respective housing societies.
It was also decided that the structural design of septic tanks and soak wells must be approved by Rajuk, and that Rajuk must dispose of such an application within three days of receiving it.
The meeting said that if the construction work is not started within the set time, mobile courts will be conducted under the Building Construction Act, 1952 and the Dhaka Metropolitan Building Construction Rules, 2025.
State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahmed Sohel Monjur, Rajuk Chairman Engineer Md Riazul Islam, Additional Secretary Md Abdul Motin, Additional Secretary Md Sarwar Alam and Rajuk member Eradul Haque were present at the meeting.
Dhaka North City Corporation Chief Engineer Brigadier General Syed Rafiqul Hasan and Chief Waste Management Officer K M Mohammad Humayun Kabir were also present.
On behalf of the residential societies, the meeting was attended by Gulshan Society President Barrister Omar Sadat and General Secretary Mojibur Rahman Sumon, Baridhara Society President Sakif A Tabani and Secretary General A T M Motin, Banani Society President Shawkat Ali Bhuiya Dilon and Niketon Society Secretary General Rezaul Karim Chowdhury Arif, along with representatives of the agencies and offices concerned.
