The recent fire incident in Dhaka earlier this week has once again shed light on the underlying faults in our collective approach to fire safety.
While fire-fighting personnel attempted to control the damage, the high-rise building's insufficient fire safety equipment acted as a barrier to prompt action.
That even well-constructed building structures in an elite area like Gulshan have failed to follow the general fire safety code of conduct is further proof that we, as a nation, are still not equipped to deal with fire incidents -- something that is a typical occurrence at this point.
To that end, that fire service authorities acknowledge the discrepancies in the system and are taking active steps to resolve them is a promising development.
In a recent press conference, it was announced that the fire service agencies, in partnership with the city corporations, will be arranging special drives against buildings in the capital that are not in compliance with fire safety laws in place.
The drive, which is set to commence next week, will investigate the state of the buildings, and take necessary measures to bring them up to code.
While we cannot expect this initiative to single-handedly remove the fire safety risks that exist in our country, it is certainly a step in the right direction.
Bangladesh is a country prone to fire hazards, and in order to guarantee a minimum level of security against these, collective responsibility is the only way.
We hope that this drive will be carried out diligently by relevant authorities, and that with problem areas identified, we can continue to build an overall stronger nation that is prepared to withstand avoidable accidents.
