With two back-to-back fires plaguing the capital within a single week, the question of fire safety has once again entered the public conscience. Just last year, Bangladesh had suffered from over 20,000 incidents involving fire. Unfortunately, if the latest events are to be taken as indicators, the end is nowhere in sight.
What is especially infuriating is most of these disasters are preventable. Bangladesh is filled with factories and residential/ commercial structures that do not comply with proper building and safety codes.
To this end, the authorities have consistently promised to crack down on such hazardous infrastructure. Sadly, even though the number of fires shows little to no sign of reducing, the authorities have failed to keep their promise. Almost a hundred people died due to fires in 2022 alone. There should be no doubt that fire hazard has transformed Bangladesh into a death trap that is worsening year by year.
On a macro level, such incidents are also tarnishing Bangladesh's overall image in the international community, which will have an extremely negative impact on our FDI collection. Who would want to invest in a country with such glaring safety issues? And if this goes on, how are we supposed to transform into the Smart Bangladesh of tomorrow?
Authorities have consistently promised to crack down on this issue, but words are not enough. Proper action needs to be taken, and it needs to be taken now.
Campaigns to raise public awareness regarding these incidents need to be undertaken. A thorough study of different urban centres needs to be conducted to identify hazardous infrastructure. Commercial structures need to be inspected to make sure they are safe.
We cannot continue like this.
