Death building illegally added 3 floors on terrace during Bangla biz downturn
Times of India | 24 August 2026
Kolkata: Florence Mansion at 15 G, Mirza Ghalib Street where last week’s fire claimed nine lives — including seven Bangladeshi citizens — illegally added three floors on a terrace when Bangladesh was in turmoil two years ago. The illegal extension of the five-storey building was in plain sight when it was being constructed and subsequently, rooms in the unauthorised section were rented out after Bangadeshi tourists returned recently. However, civic authorities “detected” the illegal construction only after the scanner on the building after the tragedy.
It had been KMC’s buildings department that had first spotted an illegal construction at the address and demolished it three years ago. Thereafter, taking advantage of the business lull in the locality after India restricted issue of visa to Bangladeshi citizens, the demolished portions were repaired and construction of three floors on the terrace of a one-storey structure to the south of the building was completed.
“I was shocked to see the demolished portion had been rebuilt and was being used as a lodge. Multiple rooms with attached toilets had been constructed in this illegal portion. The demolition had been carried out because there was no plan sanction for it. I am sure this portion has not been regularised either,” said a buildings department official.
The official’s reaction, however, drew skepticism from others familiar with the area, who said the violations were hardly hidden. Florence Mansion is less than a km from the KMC headquarters, raising uncomfortable questions about how such reconstruction could take place and continue to be used commercially without detection or action.
“Most are aware of the irregularities related to lodges and guest houses on Mirza Ghalib Street, Corporation Street, Lindsay Street, Sudder Street, Collin Street, Marquis Street and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road. Some are involved in the racket; others choose to look the other way,” an owner of a hotel in the area said.
The allegations point to a system in which touts, allegedly with the help of compromised civic personnel, guide traders and lodge operators through illegal conversions and additions while helping them avoid scrutiny. The result has been a rapid proliferation of budget lodges and guest houses in the New Market-Sudder Street belt, many functioning from ageing buildings not designed for such intensive commercial use.
Hoteliers say the pressure to increase room inventory has led many operators to ignore basic building and safety rules. Monotosh Saha, who has been in the hospitality business for 25 years and runs two guest houses on Mirza Ghalib Street and Sudder Street, said the sharpest rise in irregularities took place over the 15 years.
“The number of guest houses have doubled since 2010. While it is not possible to comply with all norms in these old buildings, many of them flout multiple norms,” said Saha.
The civic and police probe is now expected to examine how unauthorised constructions survived previous demolition drives, whether inspection reports were ignored or manipulated, and who allowed rebuilt illegal portions to be commercially occupied.