The fire in a residential building in Uttara yesterday, which claimed three lives, is yet another reminder of how dangerously unprepared we remain when it comes to fire safety.

These are not rare or unforeseeable incidents; they are recurring tragedies, and our continued failure to prevent them is nothing short of shameful.

Urban buildings continue to rise across Bangladesh, yet basic measures to ensure they meet the code of conduct remain absent in far too many of them.

Emergency exits are blocked, alarms and extinguishers are missing, and evacuation plans are either unknown or nonexistent. When a fire breaks out, panic becomes the primary response, too often leading to lives being lost.

What makes these deaths especially painful is that they are often preventable. Stronger enforcement of building codes, regular safety inspections, and mandatory installation of fire-fighting equipment could save lives. Yet regulations are too frequently ignored, and accountability in this regard remains weak.

After every deadly fire, we see investigations being promised and statements issued, but meaningful reform rarely follows. The cycle of temporary outrage after a tragedy continues, while safety remains a dismissible concern.

This is not a lack of capability, but a lack of urgency.

Fire safety should not be treated as an optional requirement or a box to be checked only after disaster strikes. It must be a core priority that is enforced consistently and transparently. Residents should know how to respond during emergencies, and authorities must ensure that buildings are equipped to protect those inside them.

When lives are lost to negligence, the responsibility inadvertently lies with the system that failed them.

Now is the time to show that we as a nation truly value human life. We owe it to every citizen to ensure that no one dies in a fire that could have been avoided.