The Fire Service and Civil Defence have released a list of 58 markets and shopping malls declaring them as "extremely risky" and "risky" in terms of fire accidents.
The organization has inspected 58 markets and shopping malls in Dhaka, and among them, nine have been declared "extremely risky", 14 have been declared "moderately risky" and 35 have been declared "risky".
Fire Service and Civil Defence Director (operations and maintenance) Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury revealed the information at a press briefing regarding fire risk reduction in Dhaka on Sunday.
The extremely risky markets and shopping malls include -- Gausia Market, Barisal Plaza Market, Rajdhani, and New Rajdhani Super Market, Alauddin Market, Shakil Anwar Tower, Shahidul Market, and Sharif Market.
“Investigation is underway to determine whether the fire at New Supermarket was an act of sabotage. However, the market was marked risky by us, and they were repeatedly informed of the matter,” said Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury.
“The fire in New Supermarket spread quickly due to various reasons like shops on top of stairs, messy electrical wiring, and AC overheating due to running all day,” he added.
The fire service chief later urged the business owners and management committees of the markets to hire people to guard the market throughout the night at various points.
“This will not only help prevent any sabotage but also, given the current high temperature in the country, if any flammable substance catches fire, they can immediately take action to put it out,” he added.
The official said: “In many cases in these markets, extreme negligence has been seen in terms of fire safety laws. Also, most of the people in the market do not have the basic idea of putting out a fire, there is no fire safety drill. Due to this negligence, fires are breaking causing damage to lives and property.”
He cited several reasons for the market fire, including the use of non-engineered buildings, unauthorized extensions, storing goods in cardboard boxes, staying overnight in shops without following regulations, and engaging in activities such as smoking and cooking with gas.
“We have spoken to four market owner associations since morning. Gave them an idea about it. The directors stated that due to the rush of people during recent fires, the quick extinguishing of fires is essential."
Earlier in the day, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal raised questions regarding the reason behind the sudden increase in fire incidents taking place late at night.
“Fire incidents have been reported in various markets of the capital recently. People are questioning why the incidents only take place late at night,” he told reporters while distributing iftar among the poor in Dhaka's Tejgaon on Sunday.
A series of fires and explosions have afflicted Bangladesh this year, causing extensive damage and raising concern about the adequacy of fire safety measures in the country.
