While it is a relief that Saturday’s devastating fire at a private inland container depot in Chittagong appears to be under some control, in order to contain it completely, there is still work to be done. The incident on Saturday has already claimed around 50 lives, with 450 people still struggling in the hospital.
A special division of the Bangladesh Army has identified four containers of chemicals in the vicinity of the fire. While there ought to be nothing but praise for the brave souls who continue to try and bring the situation under control, there remain more questions than answers.
For starters, how is it that we continue to store these hazardous and dangerous chemicals in such volatile conditions? As has become expected, the chemicals were stored illegally. Not only that, but due to the fire service officials not being informed of their content, this resulted in the delay in putting out the fire, no doubt exacerbating an already devastating predicament and leading to the loss of more lives.
Not only is this a dark stain on Bangladesh’s future ambitions, this is a dismal reminder that we continue to fail miserably in ensuring safety for our citizens. It is also a reminder of the sheer negligence and disregard displayed by certain members in our society.
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Not a month goes by when we don’t have to contend with the flames of a deadly fire within the vicinity of the country. This latest incident in Chittagong is yet another indication of our flaws. Yet, whether it is to truly be a wakeup call as to how far we need to go in order to keep our citizens safe is the burning question here.
At the end of the day, everything circles back to negligence and the culture of impunity that has been fostering. As long as incidents like this continue to happen and the people responsible keep getting away with it, this scourge will never leave our national conscience.
It is pertinent that the people responsible be brought to justice, and that any semblance of justice is delivered to the victims swiftly and properly. It is through sheer negligence and illegal behaviour that we have lost a significant number of innocent lives. The least we can do is bring the culprits to book.
