A recent report released by the fire service has revealed that more than half of the buildings in Dhaka and Chattogram are vulnerable to fire hazards. The alarming statistic suggests that these structures are at significant risk, with potential consequences highlighted only after a fire or accident occurs.
In Dhaka, 54.67 percent of buildings are deemed to be at risk, followed closely by Chattogram, where 54.29 percent of buildings face similar dangers. The buildings in question span various categories, including residential, commercial, industrial, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, as well as government and private establishments.
The report underscores the urgent need for proactive measures to mitigate fire risks and enhance safety protocols. Despite the necessity for stringent oversight, there appears to be a lack of vigilance from regulatory bodies such as RAJUK, City Corporation, and Public Works. Experts warn that without pressure on policymakers and accountability for responsible organizations, the frequency of fires is likely to persist unabated.
Among the structures identified as particularly vulnerable by the Dhaka fire service is the Green Cozy Cottage located on Bailey Road, which has been served notice due to its precarious fire risk status.
Director General (DG) Brigadier General of Fire Service and Civil Defense Mine Uddin said that the fire service had given notice to the owner of this building three times before as part of routine monitoring. The building did not have a fire extinguisher system. There was only a small staircase for people to come and go. The room where people took shelter during the fire had no windows.
A top official of the fire service said that we will identify the dangerous buildings and send a letter to the owners. “Our job is to identify the problem, to make people aware. It is not our job to use force. We also identify those who do not comply. There are other agencies to enforce the law.” RAJUK approved the design and use of the building in this building. RAJUK is now looking into why the fire took such a terrible shape and why so many lives were lost. Again Green Cozy Cottage was given a trade license as a commercial building by the City Corporation.
Amin Helali, senior vice president of FBCCI, said that those who had given notice to the Green Cozy Cottage building on Bailey Road in the capital are now only blaming the businessmen. They are putting the blame on the traders only by giving the notice. If you don't stop this neck pain, the problem will not be solved. Those who will control them are the main authority. Because they have the law, our businessmen have no law.
“Did those who came to do business in this building come without a certificate? How did you get the certificates? What have they done so far who give the certificates to those who came to do business? This leader of FBCCI said that our country is progressing economically, but our discipline is not being protected.”
He also said that accidents happen one by one and after accident we blame it, blame him. When an accident occurs, we must come to control those who are in charge, not who is at fault. Identifying the weaknesses one has and taking measures to avoid such accidents. We have to take position in that place.
Helal Uddin, President of the Shop Owners Association, said that those who are on the regulatory board are not punished, they only give notices. Notice is not a big system, why didn't you close that institution, that is the question? The government should take punitive action against the regulatory board that allowed business in this building. We do not want such incidents to happen again. The government will take action against those who have errors. If it is against a businessman, then against the businessman, and if against a company, then against the company. Commercialize everything and people's lives will be lost through it, it cannot happen. If there is a problem with the regulatory board, the government should take action against it.
He also said that the traders have suffered here, the customers have also suffered. Their lives are gone.
“Our hundreds of crores of taka have been wasted here. We discussed with BIDA and FBCCI and various stakeholders including owner associations visited various markets. There we saw some electricity problems, some fire safety problems. The problem is, people who work in fire safety now used to work in the fire service.”
Now they have opened a firm, now they are going to each market and saying that 3/4/5 crores will be required for fire safety. Now the question is, where do we get so much money? The government has said that all goods coming from abroad for fire safety will be tax free. It is being done for the people of the country. But when we go to different organizations, they are not doing that.
President of Bangladesh Institute of Planners Professor Dr. Adil Muhammad Khan said, according to the building construction rules, it is RAJUK's responsibility to ensure the fire safety system by inspecting the site of the building. However, only a small number of buildings have permission to use buildings in the entire Dhaka city. The City Corporation is also issuing trade licenses for restaurants without considering the loopholes of RAJUK's approval.
Also, how is this business going on without the approval of the fire service? The concerned organizations cannot avoid this responsibility. These omissions suggest that urban organizations cannot avoid their failures.
Former Director General (DG) of Fire Service and Civil Defense Brigadier General (Retd.) Abu Nayeem Md Shahidullah told Bangladesh Pratidin that there was none of the security measures that should have been in place in the building that caught fire on Bailey Road as per the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC). Our country has adequate laws regarding construction of multi-storied residential and commercial buildings but there is no coordination in actual implementation of the laws.
“Various organizations are concerned with supervision of buildings under construction or under construction. All are giving clearance for multi-storied or commercial buildings. But no organization has fulfilled its responsibilities when it came to the surface. Talking about smart Bangladesh but in a very weak position in terms of proper implementation of laws.”
“There are many organizations responsible for supervising the construction of buildings. Everyone is working but there is a big lack of coordination. When an incident occurs, one organization puts the responsibility on another organization. The Prime Minister's Office has issued a directive as to whether those working in the interest of public safety can be brought under the same roof. Now is the time to think about it. Advisor to Prime Minister Salman F Rahman is working on it. I hope these things will be completed soon. Then it will be possible to control and inspect the licenses from one place. In this case, if someone violates the rules, the law can be enforced,” he said.
“In 2021, 52 people died in a fire accident at Sejan juice factory in Narayanganj. After that incident, the Prime Minister also realized the pathetic condition of the non-RMG sector. For this, she formed a national committee of 24 people headed by his adviser Salman F. Rahman. This is why such accidents are happening? What is the way out of this? Apart from this, BIDA is also given the responsibility to unite all the related departments. It started visiting all over the country from 2021. After that, a total of more than 10,000 factories have been inspected and reported by June 2023. Apart from this, some other establishments are waiting to be included in the inspection list. Among them, this combined team visited 172 shopping malls in Dhaka city. Unfortunately, various agencies issue conditional licenses for constructing buildings at different times. But it is not properly monitored by any organization,” he added.
Architect Iqbal Habib said that due to lack of proper measures, fire deaths occur at regular intervals. These are not accidents, but negligent homicides. If the people of the country fail to create the necessary pressure on the policy makers, such incidents will continue to happen. He said this in a special interview given to Bangladesh Daily yesterday.
“We are all guilty of the number of fires and casualties in the country. The whole country including Dhaka has become a death pit. But so far we have not been able to force policy makers to take all out action to solve the problem.”
He said that the developed countries of the world are leaning towards building green factories. Buildings have to be constructed with approval from eight agencies. Each of these organizations must now be brought to book. This problem is becoming evident day by day despite the lack of political firmness. If you want to get rid of this, people should take to the streets instead of waiting for another fire.
Brig Gen (retd) Ali Ahmed Khan, Former Director General of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense told Bangladesh Pratidin that it is not possible to stop the fire without the goodwill of the government.
“Due to pressure from foreign buyers, there has been some change in the security measures of our garment sector. But to bring about 100% change, people's pressure and government's goodwill are needed.”
He said that the enforcement of our fire brigade also has some limitations. There is no magistrate or legal wing in the fire brigade. Every building should be inspected regularly. This situation will change if the government takes a firm stand that no building can operate unless 100% security is ensured.
“At the same time those who are violating the law should be brought under punishment and an example should be made. In the event of a fire incident, taking immediate action will not resolve the liability. Government needs to focus on permanent solution to this problem. The concerned ministries should find solutions to all the errors and deviations with a firm hand. People also have to play a role in keeping the focus of the government right,” Brig Gen (retd) Ali Ahmed Khan added.
(The report was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on March 3 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)
