One lakh 90 thousand 167 fire accidents have occurred in the last nine years across the country. In this one thousand 51 people were killed and 3 thousand 606 were injured, said Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon(Bapa) Vice President Architect Iqbal Habib.
He gave this information in a written speech at a press conference titled 'City haunted by building hazards: what to do in the future' at Tafazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall of the National Press Club on Tuesday (March 5).
The press conference was jointly organized by Bangladesh Environment Movement (BAPA), Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).
Iqbal Habib said, along with economic development, the trend of urbanization in Bangladesh is increasing day by day. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-11 calls for building inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and settlements. But still we are not able to build a safe and resilient city. The fire disaster in the city has turned into a disaster today. A comprehensive program of drastic fire prevention measures must be finalized now.
He said, proper and coordinated effective steps should be taken to ensure the formation of safe cities by preventing 'negligent homicides' by taking coordinated steps to improve the emergency fire safety situation.
He added that in most cases the permitted use is being converted into a restaurant through a change or expansion or engaging in activities that make the building vulnerable. Setting up a restaurant requires 10 certificates such as No Objection Certificate, Restaurant License, License Registration/Renewal, Shop License, Business Establishment License, E-Trade License, VAT Registration Certificate, Fire License, No Objection/Environmental Clearance, and Location Clearance. But the present situation has arisen due to the issuance of these licenses without proper examination and supervision or due to indifference in carrying out activities without a license. The government agencies concerned i.e., development authorities, city corporations, fire services and civil defense, service providers (WASA, TITAS, DPDC/DESA), law enforcement agencies and above all the building owners are responsible for these ongoing fires due to lawlessness and lack of supervision.
In the press conference, the former governor of Bangladesh Bank, Professor Dr. Atiur Rahman said, we have reached this stage today due to the increase in the size of the economy in the country. As the size of the economy grows, the kind of institutional framework that should be developed to manage this economy is not yet in place. This is the reality. A large part of our economy is informal.
He also said that fire tragedies are increasing in the cities of the country. Our pattern of urbanization is over-accumulated. If the new cities could be built according to the plan, then people would not have to come to the city to take risks and fall into insecurity.
President of BAPA Professor Nur Mohammad Talukder said that the fires from Rana Plaza to Bailey Road are all related to the same source. The building owners are greedy. Caste, country, religion has nothing for them. Their only objective is to make profit.
Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) President Planner Professor Dr. Adil Muhammad Khan said that most common people's lives are lost in the fire incident. The restaurants are being raided and only the ordinary workers are being arrested. This is because they are weak. But, because the building owners are strong, no action is taken against them. We strongly demand that even one restaurant worker should not be arrested. They are very common marginalized people. The main culprits are the building owners. Action should be taken against building owners.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), said in a video call that Bangladesh government should pay the price of human life. The country is now in the hands of traders. The country is being run on a business model. As long as the country is run on a business model, the country will not be better off. There will be new buildings in Dhaka and these buildings will become fireballs one by one.
To be done:-
>> Within 3 to 6 months, a task force consisting of the mentioned 6 ministries or organizations should be formed to identify the fire-prone buildings in the city and take initiatives for their quick rectification. In this continuation, its implementation should be ensured in other cities as well. Along with this, besides identifying the 'highly dangerous' and 'dangerous' buildings, the list should be published on the website and initiatives should be taken to mark them visibly in front of the respective buildings.
>> About 95.36 percent (DAP 2022-2035 Report, Vol. I, Page-383) existing illegal/unauthorized/permitted but disruptive buildings across Dhaka city should be approved and implemented as soon as possible by the policy formulated by the Public Works Ministry. Must take:-
>> City Corporations as a body of elected representatives and other stakeholders should ensure that annually renewable usability certificates of buildings are publicly displayed at the entrance areas of the buildings.
>> Establishes 'Building Regulatory Authority (BRA)' as per the principles of Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) as a matter of urgency. Appropriate measures should be taken to secure all buildings in Bangladesh.
>> To strengthen the civil defense part of the fire service and civil defense by ensuring the necessary investment, the program of creating trained people should be implemented up to each upazila level. Employment of such trained people should be made mandatory in all industrial and commercial buildings.
>> Immediate steps should be taken to ensure mutual compatibility of Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Act 2003, Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) and Building Construction Regulations avoiding all contradictions and ambiguities.
>> According to the Standing Order for Disaster prepared by the Government of Bangladesh at present, the provision of providing leadership to the Ministry of Disaster Management to deal with any disaster should be reviewed and implemented and appropriate initiatives should be taken.
>> In industrial belts without fire stations, comprehensive measures to set up and operate satellite fire stations, which are currently being initiated through public private partnership, should be taken urgently, so that the industrial areas established across the country acquire fire prevention capabilities.
>> Initiatives should be taken to arrange 'smart publicity and public relations' with reliance on modern technology in conducting regular mass awareness activities on fire risk and safety.
>> Existing ponds, canals and other bodies of water should be restored and preserved across the city as a source of water resources for fire fighting. Initiatives should be taken to ensure fire safety in the present densely populated urbanization by providing 'fire hydrant system' where possible.
BAPA's general secretary, planner Sheikh Muhammad Mehdi Ahsan moderated the press conference, BAPA's joint secretary Professor Dr. Kamruzzaman Majumdar and many others were present.