Fire Service officials on Friday declared Noor Mansion of the Gawsia Market in the capital as extremely risky in terms of fire safety and security.
With an aim to raise awareness, a team from Palashi fire station, led by its Station Master Saiful Islam hung a banner on the building declaring it as extremely risky, requesting people to be aware.
The five-storey building of Noor Mansion has no basic fire-safety facility. It is crammed with 390 shops and 50 warehouses while shops on the fifth floor have two partitions - each measuring only seven to 20 feet in width and around 12 feet in height, one of which is used for sewing clothes and another for storing material. Most of the shops lack fire safety measures.
Little shops have been running in the nook and corner of staircases. The walkway in front of the shops in the market has been stacked with bundles of fabric. There is no emergency fire exist. No one can easily get out from the building in case of a tragedy.
No basic fire safety measures
The building has no emergency exits, fire alarms, fire extinguishers and other fire-fighting equipment. There is no underground water reservoir either, said Saiful Islam.
Shops are set up on the stairs which will create severe obstacle if a fire breaks out, he explained. Electrical wiring of the building is also very poor.
“We have placed 10 recommendations before the shopkeepers. If they continue ignoring them, legal action will be taken,” he added.
Employees work with risk
Mohammod Biplob, an employee of a shop in Noor Mansion replying to a query of his awareness of fire risk of the building, he is aware but there is nothing he can do as they have to work for survival.
“We are not aware or have any knowledge about saving our lives if a fire breaks out. The building has no fire safety equipment, we have to work with risking our lives; it is the duty of the building owner to ensure safety,” he added.
According to the building authority there are 390 shops and 50 warehouses in the building and over 60 electric sewing machines.
Least needed equipment
According to officials of the fire department each shop needs at least one fire extinguisher, but the market authorities said they have only 20 in the whole market.
Fire service officials found many damaged fire extinguishing cylinders hanging on the staircases.
A cutting master Md Alamin of the market said there is no scope to come out safely if a fire breaks out, but market authorities do not pay heed to the repeated requests by traders for fire safety initiatives.
Appreciating the fire service move, Taslima Chowdhury, who came with her two babies to purchase some dresses and ornaments, said there are many other risky markets which should be identified.
Refuting the fire service claims, Mizanur Rahman Khan, general secretary of the Dokan Malik Samity of the Noor Mansion Shopping Center claimed that the market does have enough safety equipment to deal with fire.
“In case of a fire incident, the lanes can be cleared within five minutes and people can come out safely from the building,” he claimed.
Khan assured that no businesses on staircases will be allowed in future.
