With the capital city of Dhaka still reeling from the fire in a high-rise in Gulshan, the fact that a man burned to death after a fire broke out at a market in Chittagong's Andarkilla area early Wednesday -- and the news is not a surprise -- is telling of the situation Bangladesh finds itself in.
Deaths from fire have become so commonplace, so ordinary, that people barely bat an eye. It is a crying shame that we have been reduced to such apathy, that innocent lives continue to be lost on what appears to be a daily basis with little to no signs of improvement.
It is not just the alarming frequency with which we see fires across the country -- the fact that there were 104 gas explosion-related fires in just Narayanganj in 2022 alone is terrifying -- but also our remarkable inability to do something to bring the fires under control quickly that result in so much devastation to both human lives and also property.
The need for things to change has been spoken of innumerous times, and this newspaper continues to editorialize on the need for better fire safety -- from functional fire safety equipment in all buildings to there simply being more awareness and precautionary measures amongst the general people.
However, it is this apathy and helplessness that must first be addressed -- it is the inaction, disregard, and above all else, the attitude that we can't change this grotesque norm, that must be eradicated for good.
For there to be change, we must admit wholeheartedly that we have a problem. Our reality is that our buildings, from factories to apartments, continue to burn with alarming frequency. There is no glory in that -- only shame.
