Who are to blame for fire killing us?

Last Thursday night on 29th February 2024, 46 people were died and 11 people were seriously injured in the Bailey Road multi-storey building fire accident.

Besides, 75 people were rescued alive in the said incident. According to the concerned rescue team and doctors, most of the 46 people who died had no burn marks on their bodies.

Even a little is not enough to cause death. In this case, most of the deaths are due to ‘carbon monoxide poisoning’, which in simple terms can be called toxic black smoke.

In fact none of these are mere accidental deaths, they are murders.

Now there will be an investigation committee, only that will be known whose negligence, but no remedy will be found.

Now, the Rajdhadi Unnayan Kartipakkha (RAJUK- Capital Development Authority) says the building had no permission to set up a restaurant or merchandise outlet.

The fire service says the building did not have any fire safety measures.

Three times warning letters were given, but no action was taken for some unknown reason.

Eight restaurants operated in the building for years, despite the fire hazard and lack of permits.

The concerned government agencies knew that there was a fire risk in the building.

They could not or did not take any action for unknown reason. The building authorities did not touch the matter.

After the death of people, the picture of this negligence came out in the limelight.

According to the Fire Service, the biggest fire incident in the last 10 years happened in 2010, in Nimtoli, Old Dhaka.

Then almost 124 people were died. The following year, 111 people lost their lives in a fire at Tazreen Fashions in Savar’s Ashulia and in 2016, 41 people died in a fire at Tampako foils factory in Tongi.

According to the fire service data, about 14,682 fire incidents occurred across the country in 2010, about 271 people were died and 794 people were injured. In 2011, about 15,815 accidents died 365 people and injured 1,479 people.

On December 14, 2010, i.e., Sports Wire in Ashulia died 29 people. Out of 19,642 fires in 2018, about 7,825 fires occurred due to electrical disturbances. Almost 3,449 fires started from stove fires, and 3,108 from cigarette fires.

A fire broke out in the early morning of April 4, 2023 in Bangabazar Complex and on that day four other markets were damaged in the fire along with Bangabazar Complex. On the other hand, on April 15, 2023, about 226 shops were burnt down in a fire in Dhaka New Super Market. The market owner association says that the fire caused a loss of Tk. 350 crore.

In June 2010, about 124 people were died in a chemical factory fire in Nimtali. On February 20, 2019, a terrible fire broke out at Waheed Mansion in Churidhatta, Chawkbazar of the capital.

As there was a chemical godown, the fire became reckless. In this fire, 72 people were died and many were injured. Also, minor fires occur frequently in chemical godowns. Ever since the Nimtali incident, there has been talk of moving the chemical godown of old Dhaka to the vicinity of Dhaka, but it has not been implemented till date.

As per rules inquiry committee is formed after every fire, submits report to the government, but the inquiry report never sees the light of day. No action is taken against anyone. The influential remain out of touch.

Md. Zillur Rahaman
Gandaria, Dhaka