Staff Reporter :
The tragic blaze that engulfed the multistoried buildings adds yet another somber chapter to the country’s history of fire incidents.
However, what truly underscores the gravity of the situation is not merely the occurrence of these fires, but the blatant disregard for building codes, fire safety protocols, and the evident negligence of stakeholders, all of which contribute to the loss of precious lives.
The recent fire on Bailey Road, occurring on Thursday night, joins the lamentable list of such incidents, claiming the lives of at least 46 individuals while leaving numerous others injured.
This stark reality serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need for stringent enforcement of safety measures and accountability among those responsible for ensuring public safety.
In response to the tragedy, a Dhaka court took swift action, granting remands for two days each to the owners of Cha Chumuk restaurant, Anwarul Haque and Shakil Ahmed Rimon, along with the manager of Kacchi Bhai restaurant, Md Jisan, on Saturday.
This judicial intervention reflects a commitment to holding accountable those directly implicated in such catastrophic events.
In the aftermath of any fire incident, particularly in the bustling capital, concerned authorities such as the Ministry of Public Works, RAJUK, and City Corporation swiftly delve into their archives, searching for neglected regulations to assign blame to building owners.
Prompted by these stakeholders, law enforcement agencies intensify their efforts to apprehend building owners and caretakers, aiming to uphold the rule of law.
Nevertheless, experts lament that this repetitive “melodrama” of blame-shifting has been witnessed for years, while the scars left by fire tragedies continue to haunt the families of the deceased and survivors alike.
The recent Bailey Road fire, claiming the lives of 46 individuals, is not merely an unfortunate accident; it is a stark display of gross negligence, mismanagement, and irresponsibility on the part of those entrusted with ensuring public safety.
Abdus Sobhan, Former Additional Director General of the Department of Environment and President of the Environment and Climate Change Movement, expressed this sentiment after inspecting the site, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability and meaningful reforms to prevent such tragedies in the future.
The leaders of the Movement said that Rajuk approve the design, but it has not been followed accordingly.
“Questions have been surfaced in the minds of the people that how did Rajuk’s surveillance team overlooked so many hotels and restaurants run by gas cylinders for a long time. Even the building does not have any emergency exists.
The narrow staircases were also narrowed by piling up of gas cylinders,” the leaders said.
“It is compulsory to have exist ways for emergency. It is the responsibility of the fire service to ensure it. Even no rules were followed in the use of gas cylinders,” they said.
About the quick spread of fire, they said, “Due to the lack of supervision of the gas cylinders, the fire spread quickly and loss of lives was huge. Department of the Explosives bears the responsibility.”
Mentioning about the past fire incidents like Nimtali, Churihatta, and Banani, they said that the real reason of those fires was never unearthed. A cursory investigation was only carried out, they said.
They further said, “All the fire incidents should be independently investigated by impartial individuals and institutions to ferret out the causes and those reasons should be addressed.
The responsible individuals should be made answerable and legal action should be taken accordingly.”
They further said that the City Corporations issue licences for any business enterprises, but it should also bear in mind relating to any negligence on the part of the city corporation.
Meanwhile, 44 out of 46 bodies were handed over to their families, while two other bodies are still at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue.
The Remaining bodies will be handed over after DNA test, hospital camp Officer in-Charge Inspector Bachchu Miah confirmed it on Saturday.
On the other hand, Health Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen on Saturday called for stern action from Public Works Ministry and Rajuk to avert future catastrophes.
“Public Works Ministry and Rajuk must adopt a proactive measure to avert the repetition of such a tragedy,” he said while addressing the 23rd International Scientific Seminar in the capital.
He also underscored the necessity to carry out thorough inspections to trace buildings at risk of fire as such measures can downsize the fire incidents significantly.
The minister also informed that a 17-member medical board has been formed to provide treatment to those who were critically injured.
“We have issued clearance certificate to six out of 11 injured, while rest of the five are still in critical condition. We have formed a 17-member board for it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the apex business body Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) demanded legal action against the responsible persons for the fire incident.
“Businessmen were doing their businesses with permission. What were the government regulatory bodies doing? FBCCI Senior Vice President Md Amin Helaly said.
“Those responsible for approving the building should be held accountable since they are the ones who granted approval following their inspection of the building,” he said.
Criticising the concerned stakeholders, he said, “The entities that regulate the buildings are the primary authorities to look after. They have their rules and regulations in their hands. But the entities simply try to pass the bucket onto the businessmen. We cannot reach to any solution until the blame game ends.”
