Nimtali to Bailey Road fire: Who will take responsibility for collective negligence?

Capital Dhaka has become witness to yet another horrific fire and loss of lives on 29 February. This incident will remain a classic example of structural manslaughter and death induced by collective negligence as the government bodies were aware of the risk of fire at the multistoried building named Green Cozy Cottage that caught fire. Letters were issued to the building owner thrice. The owner defied the warning. The building had approval for commercial and residential use but restaurants were opened there. The building had one staircase but no fire exit. That narrow staircase had gas cylinders and other obstacles. The building with the glass facade had no way for the flow of air and smoke. And there was little space on the roof of the building since there was a restaurant there too. 

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the highrise building at Bailey Road turned into a death trap due to the piling up of a mountain of irregularities and negligence. A total of 46 people including women and children have died in this tragic fire so far. The question is how could the building house restaurants without any approval for years in front of the very eyes of government bodies such as public works, RAJUK, City Corporation, Fire Service and Civil Defence? Approval has to be taken before the construction of any building and the design has to be following it. There is no scope to open restaurants in residential or commercial buildings as restaurant kitchens require special arrangements. 

The most important question that has popped up after the horrific incident is whether innumerable restaurants that have mushroomed in high-rise buildings in places such as Bailey Road, Dhanmondi, Satmasjid Road, and Banani have the necessary approval. Architect Iqbal Habib warned that the fire incident in Bailey Road is an example of serial killings due to negligence and said that the way restaurants are built on different floors in many commercial buildings in Dhaka has turned the buildings into 'time bombs'.

 It remains to be seen whether the government takes into account this warning or waits for another ‘time bomb’ to explode. From Nimtali to Churihatta and from FR Tower in Banani to Bangabazar--- Dhaka city saw horrific incidents of fire in the last 12 years. Collective negligence was to blame in every incident. Probe bodies were formed every time and they made recommendations but a few were implemented. RAJUK collected information on fire safety measures of high-rise buildings after the fire in Banani’s FR Tower in 2019. The area covered by the organisation had 1,818 buildings above 10 stories. Of which 1,155 do not have fire extinguishers. Did RAJUK take any action against these buildings? 

Dhaka, one of the most populous cities in the world, is so unplanned that planned urbanization of this city is extremely difficult. But why should the important issues of security of citizens' lives and their assets be ignored?  

Who is to blame for these fire incidents and the death of so many people? A total of six government bodies are involved in different phases of the construction and operation of a building.  These include RAJUK, City Corporation, Department of Environment, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Commerce. So, none of the six agencies of the government, building owners, and shop owners, can avoid the responsibility of these fires and deaths. The culture of impunity has plagued everywhere due to a lack of accountability and punishment. 

The responsibility of all organizations means that no one has any responsibility or being a spectator by putting the blame on others. What is the solution to the collective negligence of government agencies? Will the citizens continue to burn and die of suffocation in tragic fires one after another?