It is utterly disappointing that, despite multiple devastating chemical warehouse fires occurring in Dhaka’s residential areas over the years, government initiatives to relocate hazardous businesses have seen little meaningful progress. A recent report by this daily revealed that, out of four projects worth Tk 2,821 crore taken up by the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) between 2015 and 2018 to shift chemical, plastic, printing and light engineering manufacturing units from the capital to designated industrial zones in Munshiganj, only the light engineering estate has been completed. However, due to its inaccessibility from the capital, demand has been low, and only 32 of the 361 plots of the estate, completed in 2022, have been allocated so far. The three remaining projects are at various stages of completion, and all have predictably had their deadlines extended.
When the Nimtoli fire killed 124 people in 2010, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) reportedly stopped issuing and renewing licences for chemical businesses in Old Dhaka. Nine years later, at least 71 people were killed in a deadly fire in Chawkbazar’s Churihatta area, and the authorities decided to expand restrictions on chemical businesses across the city. In October last year, 17 people were killed by a massive fire caused by a chemical warehouse in Mirpur. The establishment had reportedly been running unlicensed for 15 years, and it was one of at least three such warehouses across two lanes alone. It is deeply concerning that so many untimely and brutal deaths have failed to effect meaningful change in all these years.
Warehouses working with hazardous materials continue to operate throughout Dhaka, surrounded by residential buildings. Businesses prefer these locations because they are much cheaper to rent and more accessible for them and their employees. Plus, traders need to obtain fresh permits, fire safety clearance, and other approvals to move to the government-assigned plots. Furthermore, there is a lack of earnest drive to keep these hazardous businesses outside the city. While the aforementioned projects are commendable, they still display time delays and a lack of urgency.
Given the irregular conditions in which these warehouses and factories operate, we sincerely hope that we will not have to witness another tragedy before the relocation becomes operational. We urge BSCIC and the government at large to complete the remaining projects by their current deadlines. More importantly, authorities must ensure that they and business owners abide by the signed memoranda, ensuring proper accessibility and safety at the new estates. Relocations must be expedited. People should not have to live so close to fatal danger.
