Drives are commendable, but we need systemic changes
We commend the authorities for finally springing into action, carrying out raids, and sealing off risky commercial buildings and restaurants for lacking necessary fire safety measures. We cannot help but wonder, however, whether these initiatives are mere PR stunts to assuage an outraged public or a promise of systemic changes in the coming days. Needless to say, had such action been taken before and on a regular basis, hundreds of lives that have been lost over the years could have been saved.
Unfortunately, the blame-games between different government organisations after each tragedy—including the recent Bailey Road fire—display a distasteful lack of willingness to take responsibility by the authorities for their own failures. It is because the authorities—including Rajuk, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, and city authorities—have turned a blind eye towards the establishment of buildings and markets violating all rules and regulations, either due to apathy or in exchange for bribes, that the majority of them lack any semblance of safety measures. Thus, fire incidents have become all too common in the country, with the latest ones being the two fires in Chattogram which caused damages worth Tk 25-30 crore.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. 
And it is not just fire regulations that are regularly flouted. It is important to remember that because building codes are frequently ignored, most buildings in Bangladesh are also extremely vulnerable to other disasters such as earthquakes. So while it is encouraging to see the authorities conduct drives and take measures against errant establishments, it is pertinent to ask how these establishments managed to begin their operations in the first place. And how have so many of them gotten away for so many years, despite flouting building codes and fire safety regulations?
While we urge the authorities to continue with their drives, systemic changes must be brought in to ensure that the majority of residential buildings and commercial establishments in the country are not violating the necessary rules and unnecessarily risking property and lives. Meanwhile, these drives must be carried out regularly instead of sporadically, if we are to get rid of all establishments that do not have required safety measures in place to protect people.
Comments