How many fires can we keep putting out?

At this point, explosions, fires, and other similar accidents and calamities have become so commonplace in the country that they appear to have become a part of living in Bangladesh -- and this is a crying shame.

The two recent blasts and fires in the country -- one that took place in the oxygen plant in Chittagong's Sitakunda upazila that claimed at least six people, and the other that took place in a building in the capital city of Dhaka's Science Lab area that claimed at least three lives -- are just the latest in what appears to a never-ending series of accidents that we seem to be making little to no progress on.

In addition to the tragic loss of lives are those that get injured and often see their lives completely changed after these incidents, along with the damage done to property and resources.

Almost every time, the result of these accidents is negligence, of disregard, of poor planning and not adhering to proper standards with regard to safety. To that we ask: Will we ever make any progress with regard to these accidents?

We continue to hear about probe bodies being formed after these accidents, and an outpouring of reactionary takes, but once the fires are put out, it is back to square one.

We hope that the authorities concerned take a long, hard look at what has become an alarming trend for the nation, and find a long-term, sustainable solution to stop these explosions. If we want to become a smart nation, it's time we become smarter about addressing real problems in the nation as well.