58 markets in Dhaka at risk of fire; 9 marked ‘extremely risky’

Syed Shemul Parvez :
The fire service and civil defense have published the list of ‘high risk’ and ‘risky’ supermarkets, shopping malls as well as others buildings structures in the capital. As a result, most of the city traders and inhabitants are in serious panick due to repeated major’s fire incidents in the capital.
According to the fire service sources, about 1,511 buildings including markets, hotels, restaurants and residences in the capital are at serious risk.
After inspecting 58 markets and shopping malls in Dhaka metropolitan area, 9 have been declared as high risk, 14 as medium risk and 35 markets as risk.
Director of the organization, Lt. Col. Tajul Islam Chowdhury, gave this information at a press conference at the headquarters of Fire Service and Civil Defense on Sunday afternoon.
According to sources, at least four major fire incidents at commercial spaces or complexes took place within two weeks in the city. Among those, the Bangabazar conflagration reduced around 6000 shops into ashes.
Asked about the frequent fires in the city, Brigadier General Md Main Uddin, director general of fire service and civil defense, told the media that “I would request the police to look into it.
Main Uddin said, it has not been determined yet, it will be known after investigation.
The high-risk markets and shopping malls in the capital are Gauchia Market in New Market area, Barisal Plaza Market in Fulbaria area, Rajdhani and New Rajdhani Super Market in Tikatuli area, Alauddin Market in Lalbagh area, Shakil Anwar Tower, and Shahidullah Market in Chawkbazar area, and Sharif Market in Sadarghat area.
In the last two months of this year, the names of these markets have been declared as very dangerous in terms of fire safety by the fire service. Tajul Islam Chowdhury, Director of Fire Operations, said that the fire in the New Super Market is being investigated whether it was sabotage or not.
Law enforcement officials are investigating the matter. Even the new supermarket was also on the list of risks. All the respective forces have been repeatedly informed about the danger. Apart from this, sufficient clothes were kept inside the market for Eid. The fire in New Super Market spread quickly due to various reasons like shops on top of stairs, unkempt electrical wiring, AC running all day due to overheat.
Fire director said, I want to tell the traders and owners association of the market, you should appoint your own people for the whole night at different points of the market. This will not only prevent vandalism, but currently the temperature in the country is high, if any flammable material in the market catches fire due to excessive temperature, they will work to extinguish the fire first.
Apart from this, he has given instructions not to smoke, not to cook at night in the markets of the country.
Tajul Islam said, “On behalf of the fire service, we have visited every market along with DGFI and NSI members. But we are sorry to say, what we have seen in the inspection is not satisfactory. After inspection we identified many markets as risky and very risky and advised them. He said, in many cases in these markets, extreme negligence has been seen in following fire safety laws.
Apart from this, most of the people in the market do not have the basic idea of putting out fire blaze, even there is no fire safety drill. Due to these negligence, fires are breaking out and property and lives are being damaged.
Mentioning several other reasons for fire in the market, he said, construction of non-engineering buildings in the market, non-design extension, stacking goods in cartons in the market shop, staying overnight in the market shop without following the rules, smoking, cooking food using gas etc.
It is to be toted that both the fires broke out at around the same time– in the early hours. Though the cause of the Bangabazar fire is still being investigated, this time traders instantly blamed the fire to a demolition work of the Dhaka South City Corporation.
The Dhaka South mayor also stressed the need for intelligence agencies’ investigation into the reasons for pre-dawn incidents to see if there is any act of sabotage.