Frequent fires: The damage to lives, the damage to our image
Even most of the major fire accident cases in the last decade did not see much (or any) progress in terms of investigation and trials. Without penalty, death by fire is likely to continue causing families to suffer and deteriorating the country’s image on the global stage
Within 24 hours, two explosions – one in Dhaka's commercial building in the New Market area and the other in Sitakunda in Chittagong – left nine people dead and more than 40 people injured.
These incidents prove once again how industries and commercial spaces remain unsafe, unregulated and fatal across the country.
While death by fire continues to ascend in numbers, families of the deceased or injured (primarily those who belong to the most underprivileged socio-economic groups) struggle to cope. For all intents and purposes, these families continue to suffer and carry the burden of premature and preventable deaths lifelong.
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Beyond the heavy loss of life, lies a blow to the country's image. Repeated fire incidents in Bangladesh result, over time, in a probable negative impact on exports – this stems from the deteriorated image of the country on the global stage.
"The international buyers have an assumption that the product they are buying is not compliant with fire safety and workers' safety. This negative image has an impact when Bangladeshi RMG factory owners want to get a better price for a product," said Faruque Hassan, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), the apex trade body for readymade garment manufacturers.
He said that the BGMEA has zero tolerance for workplace safety issues and that it is constantly working to make them better. As a result, the number of fire incidents has come down in the RMG factories.
Dhaka North Mayor Atiqul Islam who is a former president of the BGMEA said that the RMG industry has to suffer from fire incidents happening in the non-garment factories too.
Foreign buyers first suspect that a fire broke out in a garment factory when news breaks on international outlets, according to the mayor. "Then we have to clarify to our buyers that it is not a garment factory that caught fire. So it is [an additional] hassle for us to spell out what exactly happened," said Atiqul Islam.
Faruque Hassan thinks the non-garment industries have to learn a lesson from the RMG industry to improve their workplace.
"BGMEA is ready to share the knowledge with other industries. I think we need to raise more awareness and we are doing this. The government will have to be stricter for the non-garment factory in regard to licence, permissions and auditing the factories," said Faruque Hassan.
BGMEA Faruque Hassan said that the RMG sector has improved workplace safety issues over the last decade to a great extent. He said that in terms of safety, the garment factories are on the top line.
On trial or ongoing investigation
Among the major fire incidents in the country in the last 13 years, 124 people died in Nimtoli in Old Dhaka in 2010, 117 people died in Tazreen Fashion in Ashulia in 2012, 31 people died in Tampaco Foils Packaging Factory in Tongi in 2016, 71 people died in Churihatta in Chawkbazar in 2019, 26 people died in FR Tower in Banani in the same year and 17 people were killed in Prime Plastic factory in Chunkutia area of Keraniganj.
In 2021, 54 people were killed in the Hasem Food Factory in Narayanganj and 12 people were killed in a fire caused by an explosion in a shop in the capital's Moghbazar in the same year.
Apart from this, in 2022, 51 people were killed in a fire at the BM depot in Sitakunda, Chittagong, including 15 firefighters.
It is noteworthy to mention that no one has been held accountable, let alone reprimanded, for these nine fire tragedies.
And perhaps more egregiously, most of these fire accident cases have not seen much progress.
Nine months have passed since the country witnessed a massive fire incident at the BM Container Depot in Chattogram's Sitakundu. Firefighters were able to douse the blaze after three days of intense effort.
The police filed a case accusing eight persons including its owner. However, the investigation is still ongoing. Likewise, the investigation for the 2021 Hashem Foods Factory fire is still ongoing.
A CNG auto rickshaw driver is among those severely injured in the blast at Science Lab on Sunday. He could not be immediately identified and remains in critical condition. And the fire at an oxygen plant of Seema Re-Rolling Mill at Sitakunda in Chattogram raged where the memories of the devastating June 2022 BM Container Depot fire still remain fresh.
Can the non-RMG sector follow suit?
In the wake of the Tazreen Fashion fire which killed 117 and injured more than 200 workers in 2012 (and the Rana Plaza collapse, a non-fire related tragedy, which killed more than 1,134 and injured more than 2,500 people) the RMG sector was compelled to address the workplace safety issue under the pressure foreign buyers.
However, the non-RMG sector is yet to follow in the footsteps of the RMG sector to improve workplace safety issues.
According to a study conducted by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) in January last year, safety standards in non-RMG industries have been declining due to weak factory infrastructures and inadequate monitoring by government agencies.
These latest fire incidents are clear indications and proof attesting to the CPD study – giving rise to questions regarding the complacency of both factory owners and the relevant government authorities.
The incidents, again, highlight the need for urgent action to be taken to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
BGMEA President Faruque Hassan believes that the association of the respective industry will need to come forward in this regard and at the same time the government will have to make them compliant with fire safety issues.
Sameer Sattar, president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the private sector will have to improve the fire safety issues. "We will have to raise awareness. Considering the country's image abroad, we must implement the rules and regulations. There is no point in keeping the rules and regulations on paper," said Sameer Sattar.
Sameer Sattar feels the government will have to enhance the inspection of the factories. The authority will have to find out why these kinds of fire incidents keep recurring and address the issue at the root level.
"Accidents can happen. But what we will have to find out is if it happened due to anyone's negligence and it is very important to pinpoint the main cause of the fires," said Sameer Sattar.
He said that there is always an issue on behalf of the buyers. He said that buyers are always concerned with the health and safety issues of workers and it is a global standard. "We will have to be very cautious and keep in mind that we should not let our image be tainted any longer because of the fires and safety issues," said Sameer Sattar.
Both, the private sector and the government agencies, will have to build the capacity for preventive measures. And, under no circumstance, can the private sector go scot-free, according to Sattar.
Former BGMEA president Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin MP said that he heard experts saying that the blast in the Science Lab incident occurred due to the blast of an air conditioner.
"We will have to take measures to prevent fires from the ACs, gas cylinders and boilers. We need to examine these things at regular intervals," said Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin. "The government will have to increase monitoring and awareness."
Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin believes that the regularity authority will have to penalise those who will not comply with the safety measures. "Only then, they will take initiative to be compliant. Unawareness is the main problem here," concluded Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin.
