Authorities asleep as many bldgs ignore fire safety rules

Although many high-rise commercial buildings have been occupied without fulfilling the fire safety standards, those are yet to be identified because 99 per cent of the owners are least bothered about having occupancy certificates following the approval of the building plans, claimed fire service officials, reports UNB.

The officials also raised concern over the increase in factory buildings in the city in an unplanned way and stressed the need for having stricter rules to regulate the fire safety measures all kinds of buildings-residential, commercial and industrial-big or small.

Talking to the news agency over the issues of fire safety and occupancy, Fire Service and Civil Defence Directorate's instructor M Akram said only 1 in 100 owners of high-rise buildings cares about collecting the occupancy certificate, leaving the authorities in the absolute dark about their fire safety standards.

Akram said buildings higher than six-storey are multi-storey ones and occupancy (suitable for accommodation) certificates are to be collected for setting up such high-rise buildings.

He also noted that buildings having less than six-storey ones do not require the non-objection certificates, but have to be built complying with the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC).