Safety should be a top priority

The bus that hit and killed Abrar Ahmed, a student of the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), was being driven by its conductor who did not have a driving licence. Also the bus did not have fitness certificate.

As many as 71 people were killed in the Chawkbazar inferno. We came to know about the irregularities of keeping flammable illegal chemicals in the resident buildings.

Barely a little more than a month after Chawkbazar tragedy, 26 people have lost their lives and around 100 others have been injured as a deadly fire tore the 23-storey Faruk Rupayan (FR) Tower in the capital's Banani area. We found irregularities responsible for the FR Tower tragedy.

The Rajuk and the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) failed to enforce the proper building code and fire safety directions for FR Tower. The building consisted narrow emergency staircases. Most of the emergency exit doors were locked and blocked by piles of goods on different floors which made obstacles to helpless people who were trying to escape from flame and thick smoke. Also, the building did not have a fire fighting system and fire alarm.

A report of the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development stated that around 95 per cent buildings of the capital of Bangladesh do not have a fire exit.

We want to avoid any further hazardous disaster which usually happens due to negligence, irregularities, lack of enforcement of rules and safety equipment.

Md Ariful Islam

Sociology Department

University of Barishal

[email protected]