Ensuring infrastructural safety

The recent incident involving the metro rail has once again highlighted concerns about the safety and security of Bangladesh's rapidly growing infrastructure. While projects like the metro rail symbolize progress and modernization, they also remind us that development must go hand in hand with strict safety standards, transparency, and responsible management.

Bangladesh has achieved remarkable infrastructure growth in recent years; yet building collapses, fire incidents, and other accidents continue to reveal gaps in regulation, inspection, construction practices, maintenance, and enforcement. These are not merely technical failures-they reflect a broader need for accountability and a culture of safety. Regular monitoring, well-trained personnel, and effective emergency systems must be prioritised to prevent such incidents.

Safety and security require more than advanced technology; they demand discipline, careful planning, and effective execution. Critical thinking, strategic decision-making, transparency, and preparedness at every level are essential. Integrating these values into infrastructure projects ensures not only public trust but also sustainability.

Regular safety audits, personnel training, public awareness campaigns, and robust emergency response systems must become integral to all projects. As physical and digital infrastructures become increasingly interconnected, cybersecurity and rapid-response mechanisms also need greater attention. Security should go beyond physical protection, reflecting Bangladeshi identity through culturally inspired, standard-compliant designs.

Ultimately, development should be measured not only by what is built but also by how safely and sustainably it is constructed. Infrastructure should stand as a symbol of heritage, preserved for generations as part of Bangladesh's living history.

Sangida Jahan Ripa

Student

North South University

sangida.ripa@northsoutdu