Old Dhaka continues to face serious fire risks, with thousands of chemical warehouses and factories operating in densely populated neighbourhoods despite repeated deadly blazes and years of recommendations from the fire service.
An estimated 25,000 small and large chemical warehouses are scattered across the area, leaving residents exposed to hazardous materials. Recommendations made by the fire service to reduce fire risks have remained largely unimplemented, allowing even small fires to escalate into major incidents.
On Monday, a fire broke out at Manjur Khan Plaza market in Chawkbazar. Five units initially responded, but the blaze intensified. It took 10 units around 12 hours to bring the fire under control. Narrow streets hampered the movement of firefighting vehicles, while plastic products and flammable materials at the site made the operation more difficult.
Officials and experts said implementing the fire service’s recommendations could help contain fires more quickly and reduce casualties.
Deadly fires, little change
Old Dhaka has witnessed devastating fires in Nimtoli in 2010 and Churihatta in 2019. The Nimtoli fire on June 3, 2010, killed 124 people, while the Churihatta fire claimed 71 lives.
Following both tragedies, senior government officials pledged to relocate businesses dealing in flammable chemicals from Old Dhaka. However, the relocation process has yet to resolve the longstanding problem.
The initial urgency following the disasters gradually faded, while chemical businesses continued operating in residential and commercial areas.
Reports from various non-governmental organisations indicate that Old Dhaka has around 25,000 chemical warehouses, of which 15,000 are located inside residential homes.
The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has issued trade licences to only around 2,500 chemical businesses, according to the information provided.
Some traders have argued that establishing a dedicated chemical industrial zone outside Dhaka would benefit their businesses.
Chemicals stored beside homes
Visits to different parts of Old Dhaka reveal shops packed with plastic drums and containers of chemicals, as well as sacks containing combustible substances. Electrical wires often hang in tangled clusters above the shops, while residential homes occupy the floors above them.
Similar conditions can be found in Armanitola, Lalbagh, Kotwali, Bangshal and Chawkbazar.
The problem extends beyond individual shops. In many neighbourhoods, the ground floors of residential buildings house factories and warehouses storing chemicals and other flammable materials.
These include glycerin, anhydrous sodium compounds, sodium thiosulphate, hydrogen peroxide, methyl ethyl ketone, thinner and isopropyl alcohol. Improper storage and exposure to fire can make such substances hazardous.
Fire service recommendations
The fire service has outlined several measures to reduce fire risks in Old Dhaka, including the following:
1. Relocating chemical warehouses
Move warehouses and factories storing chemicals, plastic raw materials and flammable substances out of residential buildings and densely populated areas to designated industrial zones, such as the BSCIC Chemical Industrial Estate.
Cancel licences for businesses storing chemicals commercially in residential buildings and take legal action against those operating in violation of regulations.
2. Improving building safety
Ensure compliance with the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) in the construction of buildings and markets.
Provide adequate emergency exits and fire doors in high-rise buildings and markets, keeping them unlocked and free of obstructions.
Install and maintain fire detectors, fire extinguishers and functional hose systems in residential and commercial buildings.
3. Ensuring access to water
Install fire hydrants at street corners and near major markets to ensure adequate water supplies during emergencies.
Preserve ponds and other existing water bodies and maintain them for use by the Fire Service.
4. Improving roads and access routes
Widen narrow roads and alleys in phases to allow firefighting vehicles and equipment to reach fire sites.
Deploy small, rapid-response units and compact vehicles equipped with water-mist systems where larger fire engines cannot enter.
5. Maintaining gas and electricity lines
Regularly inspect and repair ageing electrical wiring, transformers and gas pipelines in coordination with the relevant utility providers, including Titas Gas, Desco and DPDC.
6. Raising public awareness
Conduct regular fire safety drills involving local business owners, employees and residents.
Train residents to use basic firefighting equipment and respond calmly during the first few minutes of a fire.
Coordinated action needed
The Fire Service has said its efforts alone are insufficient to ensure safety in a traditional and densely populated area such as Old Dhaka. Coordinated initiatives by the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), the city corporation, Dhaka Wasa, business owners and landlords, alongside strict enforcement of the law, are essential.
Lt Col Md Mahmudul Hasan, director of operations and maintenance at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Department, said the presence of plastic and combustible materials had contributed to the severity of Monday’s fire.
“The primary cause of the severity of Monday’s fire was the presence of plastic and combustible materials. Although we have not yet been able to enter the premises, the way the smoke is billowing allows us to gauge the situation,” he said.
“Due to the narrow roads, Fire Service vehicles could not even enter the area, making rapid fire suppression impossible. Furthermore, there was no water source nearby. All in all, it took us about 12 hours to bring this fire under control.”
He said the fire service had made recommendations for Old Dhaka, including measures to facilitate firefighting and relocate chemical warehouses.
“However, these measures were never implemented. Cooperation from the city corporation, Rajuk and local residents is crucial to implementing these steps; otherwise, we will continue to witness tragedies like those of Churihatta and Nimtoli,” he added.
Long-term relocation plans stalled
Fire Service sources said an investigation committee formed after the Churihatta fire on the night of February 20, 2019, recommended prohibiting chemical shops and warehouses in residential areas to prevent fire hazards.
Although some short-term measures were implemented, the long-term recommendations have not been fully realised. Chemical shops and warehouses have yet to be relocated in full, while most other recommendations also remain unimplemented.
As a result, Old Dhaka continues to face significant fire risks.
Abdullah Al Matin, a trader from Charakbazar, said the government had promised to provide traders with a designated location after the Nimtoli tragedy, but the promise had yet to be fulfilled.
“After the Nimtoli tragedy, the government promised to provide us with a designated location, but we have not received it to this day. We have yet to establish the proper environment required for this business. Consolidating the entire process within a single designated area would reduce the risk,” he said.
Efforts to remove illegal chemical shops from Old Dhaka began after the Nimtoli fire on June 3, 2010, which killed 124 people, including women and children.
In 2015, authorities planned to establish a chemical industrial zone, known as Chemical Village, on 20 acres of land in Sonabanda, Keraniganj. However, the project progressed slowly, and the land was later reallocated for an IT park.
Eviction drive remains suspended
Since the Churihatta tragedy, several other fires have occurred in Old Dhaka. The relocation of chemical facilities is often discussed after major incidents, but the issue gradually loses momentum.
In 2019, the DSCC launched a drive to evict hazardous chemical warehouses. The corporation later suspended the operation temporarily at the request of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI). The drive has not resumed since.
After the 2010 Nimtoli fire, a committee led by an additional secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a 17-point directive to prevent similar accidents, including the removal of chemical warehouses from residential areas. Those recommendations remained unimplemented.
Another major tragedy followed on the night of February 20, 2019, when a fire broke out in Churihatta, Chawkbazar. An investigation committee formed by the Fire Service and Civil Defence subsequently issued several recommendations, identifying the large quantities of chemicals stored on the second, third and fourth floors of Wahed Mansion as the cause of the fire.