Nayamati, a key commercial hub in Narayanganj city, is marked by its narrow lanes, making it difficult for four-wheeled vehicles to navigate. Despite this, the area sees the annual trade of hosiery products worth hundreds of crores. However, these businesses, collectively valued in the thousands of crores, face significant fire hazards. A ground visit revealed that the entire area is ensnared in a tangle of electrical wires. In some spots, the clutter is so thick that the sky is barely visible from the streets. Locals report frequent fires caused by short circuits in these wires, which are typically extinguished using water from buildings on either side. However, in this bustling commercial zone, where every building is packed with fabric, chemicals, and thread, fire service vehicles are unable to reach the scene. "If a major fire were to occur in this area, no one knows how to handle it," said a hosiery businessman. On October 7 at 11pm, a severe fire erupted in Narayanganj's Kali Bazar area caused by an electrical short circuit, resulting in the destruction of 40 shops. Since that incident, fear and anxiety have taken hold of hosiery traders and workers in Nayamati. Read: Workplace Fire Safety: 12 Effective Ways to Prevent Fire Hazards The Bangladesh Hosiery Association reports that there are approximately 8,000 hosiery businesses in Narayanganj, with the majority situated in Nayamati and its vicinity. Data from the Fire Service highlights that Nayamati is at a high risk for fire incidents, despite its crucial role in meeting Bangladesh's domestic clothing needs. Hosiery businessman Abdus Selim stated, "Every market and building here involves transactions worth crores of taka, but there is no safety for our lives. If you monitor closely, you won't find any fire extinguishing equipment or water reserves. Since fire service vehicles cannot access this area in the event of a fire, businesses should take that into consideration." However, no one seems to be concerned about it, Abdus Selim added. He alleged that the City Corporation, Fire Service, and other government agencies are also responsible for this situation. Abeda Parveen, a worker at Rahman Hosiery, stated, "The road we enter frequently catches fire due to the wires. We have to extinguish the flames using water and sand from the buildings. What more can I say about our workplace? If a fire breaks out on the ground floor, there’s no way for us to escape." Read more: Panel formed to prove vessel fire at Ctg port She noted the stark difference between garment factories and hosiery units, explaining, "Garment factories have two staircases and fire extinguishing equipment, while the hosiery units in Nayamati lack these essentials. Are our owners not making enough money? But, they seem to evade scrutiny." She called on the government to address this issue, warning that without intervention, they could face deadly fires. Meanwhile, some local business owners recognized that although the area is highly susceptible to fire hazards, the Fire Service pays little attention here. They pointed out that there have been no substantial efforts from this government agency to establish a safe commercial environment in Nayamati.  When reached for a comment, Fakhruddin Ahmed, Deputy Director of the Narayanganj Fire Service, stated, "Please call me during office hours; I am currently unwell." Read more: Top Strategies to Enhance Fire Resilience in Dhaka City

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has seen rapid and often unplanned urbanisation since independence. The city’s average annual urban growth rate was as high as 8% from 1991 to 2019. The rapid unplanned and unregulated urban expansion has continued to date. As Dhaka is expanding in terms of physical dimension, population, and structural density, the city suffers from diverse problems like water crises, drainage problems after heavy rains, poor solid waste disposal, inadequate infrastructure, fire accidents, etc. In recent years recurrent fire hazards have claimed many lives and destroyed valuable properties in Dhaka metropolitan areas. Let’s look at the existing fire safety regulations, and necessary recommendations to prevent fire hazards and mitigate losses in Dhaka city.   Rules and Regulations Regarding Fire Safety in Dhaka City  The Government of Bangladesh (GoB) have enacted several laws regarding fire safety such as Building Construction Rules 1996, Bangladesh National Building Code 2006, The Fire Prevention and Extinction Act, 2003, and The Fire Prevention and Extinction Rules, 2014.  According to section 4 of the Fire Prevention and Extinction Act 2003, it is mandatory to obtain a licence from the Directorate General of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense Authority (BFSCDA) to use any building as a warehouse or workshop. Section 7 of the Act necessitates the permission of the BFSCDA DG during the approval process of the structural design or layout of a multi-storied commercial building.  The Fire Protection Act 2003 requires all buildings, including high-rises and commercial establishments to take necessary public security measures including storing sufficient fire-fighting equipment, breathing apparatus, etc.  Rule 22 of the Fire Prevention and Extinction Rules 2014 states that an owner has to apply for an occupancy certificate of the building at the end of the construction.  Rule 17(1) of the Building Construction Rules 1996 requires public safety measures, such as fire alarms, emergency exits, installation of fire extinguishers, etc.  The building code prohibits the construction of any building over six stories without an elevator with a standby generator. Moreover, any high-rise structure with 10 stories or higher should have elevators spacious enough to carry patients on stretchers.  Read more: Organizational strategies to minimize earthquake damages in Dhaka City Why is Dhaka Prone to Fire Disasters?    Dhaka experienced several disastrous fire hazards, such as Nimtoli, Churihatta, FR Tower, Armanitola, New Market, Moghbazar, Bangabazar Market, Bailey Road, etc. Besides these major fire accidents, many small to medium-scale fire hazards have occurred in the residential and commercial buildings of the city in recent years. Now the question arises as to why Dhaka is prone to fire disasters.  Limitations in Legal Framework and Limited Institutional Capacity Bangladesh’s existing legal provisions regarding fire safety are limited and need to be modified. The fire prevention acts, rules, and regulations are not properly implemented in Dhaka city.  Currently, BFSCDA is working as an emergency service-providing organisation with limited involvement in the planning decision.  The number of fire stations and fire service providers in Dhaka city is still inadequate. Furthermore, long-distance travelling by firefighters hamper the timely provision of support to fire-affected areas in many cases.   The city authorities such as Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), City Corporations, etc. are also characterised by weak institutional capacity.  In the process of getting approval for the building plan, the building owners collect the licence. However, there is a lack of proper monitoring from the authorities over the implementation of the fire prevention arrangements and public safety conditions. At present, many buildings are being constructed in Dhaka without fire licences or even planning permissions from RAJUK.  The city authorities need adequate numbers of town planners and fire safety professionals to serve the Dhaka Metropolitan Area inhabited by about 23.9 million people.  Read more: What Can Dhaka Learn from the Smart City Singapore Unplanned Development Dhaka city is growing in an unplanned manner. In different areas of the city high rise structures are being built within the old building blocks. Most of these buildings lack essential arrangements for safeguarding people from fire hazards initiated by electric short circuits, gas cylinder explosions, etc.  The narrow road systems obstruct the entrance, movement and manoeuvre of fire service vehicles at the time of emergency. The low vehicle mobility on the road system due to traffic gridlock increases the response time of the fire service leading to serious destruction from minor fire incidents.  The existence of water retention ponds, lakes, and natural reservoirs is gradually decreasing in different areas of Dhaka city due to excessive population pressure, and unplanned urbanisation. Many water bodies and open spaces are being encroached upon by unauthorised uses and getting filled up for the construction of buildings. During fire hazards, the fire service providers often face scarcity of water due to lack of street fire hydrant arrangement and unavailability of natural water sources at nearby locations.  Besides these, proper land use zoning is yet to be implemented in Dhaka City. The intermixing of residential, commercial, and industrial uses in the same location increases the risk of fire occurrences.  Furthermore, in many areas of Dhaka, FAR rules are not maintained properly which makes the city more disaster-prone.  Read more: A city of fire traps: Decades of tragedies in Dhaka expose systemic failures Some Recommendations to Mitigate Fire Hazards in Dhaka City Fire hazard prevention measures are multi-dimensional. It requires a proper combination of the strong legal and administrative framework, adequate funding, organised institutional capacities, advanced technologies, trained manpower, information dissemination, etc. Let’s look at how to enhance the resilience of Dhaka city from some key perspectives. Raising Public Awareness  Public awareness can minimise the risk of fire incidences and the associated destruction of lives and properties.  During a fire hazard, people usually become very worried and confused. As a result, many people fail to make appropriate decisions to escape from fire. This causes the loss of lives.  Electric short circuits, burners, gas cylinder explosions, etc are the major causes of fire hazards in Dhaka City. Information sharing regarding the causes and preventive measures of fire hazards can raise awareness among city dwellers.  Though some individual buildings have fire fighting equipment, they are inadequate in number. In many cases, the fire safety equipment is located in isolated places and people hardly know how to use it. As a result, the safety equipment can’t provide any benefit at the time of a fire emergency.  In many cases, during fire hazards, curious crowds block the roads, as a result, the firefighting vehicles take longer times to reach the target locations during the time of response. 

Firefighting efforts started this morning in the Sundarbans East Zone’s Amurbunia area, following a fire that erupted on Saturday (May 04, 2024). The operation, which began at 9 am on Sunday (May 05, 2024), saw the coordinated efforts of the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Forest Guard, and Fire Service. The initial response was led by a ten-member team from the Mongla naval base. Following this, members of the Fire Service attempted to set up water extraction from the nearby Bhola River. However, the operation faced a setback due to low tide conditions, delaying the water supply. Probe committee formed over Sundarbans fire Kazi Muhammad Nurul Karim, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Sundarbans East Zone, stated that logistical challenges prevented the operation from starting sooner. "The Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force joined the Fire Service this morning to accelerate efforts. Local volunteers are also lending significant support," he reported. Mamun Ahmed, Deputy Director of Bagerhat Fire Service and Civil Defense, detailed the deployment of additional firefighting units. "Five units from various locations were dispatched to the site this morning, with three from Mongla, Morrelganj, and Shoronkhola actively engaging in the firefighting efforts. The remaining two units are on standby," he said. Fire breaks out at Sundarbans

Eleven arson attacks were recorded in the past 15 hours, from 6 pm yesterday till 9 am this morning (November 19, 2023). A total of 11 vehicles were set on fire by miscreants during this time. Of these, five were set on fire inside Dhaka city, according to the media cell of Fire Service and Civil Defence. Also read: Case filed over burning train compartments in Jamalpur Meanwhile, three reports of arson violence were recorded in Rajshahi division, two in Chattogram, and one in Mymensingh, said Talha Bin Zashim, station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence (media cell).  The affected vehicles included six buses, one covered van, one CNG-run autorickshaw, one pickup van, and three carriages of a train. A total of 107 members of 20 firefighting units worked to douse the fires across the country during this period. A 48-hour hartal — called by BNP, Jamaat and like-minded opposition parties — protesting the general election schedule announced by the Election Commission (EC) is underway from this morning amid fear of violence. Also read: CNG-run autorickshaw catches fire as cocktail thrown in Old Dhaka

On average, more than nine arson attacks have been reported across Bangladesh every day between October 28 and November 13, Fire Service and Civil Defense said today (November 14, 2023). "A total of 154 arson attacks were reported across the country during this period, leaving 5 people injured,” said Talha Bin Jashim, station officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence's media cell. Of these, 82 arson attacks were in Dhaka city, he added. Read: Fire Service records 9 arson attacks in the country in 10 hrs According to the fire service, out of 154 arson attacks across the country, 116 incidents occurred in Dhaka division, 14 in Chattogram, 9 in Rajshahi, 6 in Barishal, 6 in Rangpur, 2 in Khulna and 1 in Mymensingh division. No arson attacks were reported in the Sylhet division during this period. A total of 94 buses, 3 microbuses, 2 private cars, 8 motorcycles, 13 trucks, 8 covered vans, 1 ambulance, 2 pickup trucks, 2 CNG-run autorickshaws, 1 human hauler, 1 Laguna, 1 fire service water truck, 1 police van, 5 BNP offices, 1 Awami League office, 1 police box, 1 councilor office, 2 electricity offices, 1 bus counter, and 2 showrooms were burnt during this time, according to fire service. Read: Two passenger buses set on fire in Dhaka on eve of fresh 48-hr blockade According to the statistics, the highest, 29, arson attacks happened on October 28. Analyzing the incidents, the fire service found that there were more arson attacks during the night (6 pm to 6 am) compared to daytime. Between October 28 and November 13, 61 fire incidents occurred during the day and 93 during the night.

A total of nine arson attacks were reported across the country from 8 pm last night to 6 am today (November 12, 2023), according to the Fire Service and Civil Defence. Of these, 7 arson attacks were reported in Dhaka’s Jatrabari, Gulistan, Gabtoli, near Notre Dame College, Rupnagar, Sutrapur and Mirpur areas, said Talha Bin Zashim, station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense Media Cell, this morning. All the arson attacks in Dhaka were on buses ahead of the countrywide 48-hour blockade of roads, rail lines and waterways. Read: Arsonists set fire to another bus in Dhaka's Mirpur Moreover, the miscreants also set a pickup van and a bus on fire in Gazipur and Barishal respectively in the same period. Supporters of BNP and its associate bodies brought out a procession in favour of the blockade this morning in Barishal city and they also burnt tyres on the streets. Read: Fire Service records 15 arson incidents across country in 37 hrs till Thursday evening At a virtual press briefing, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Saturday called upon the country’s people and BNP supporters to observe the blockade and make it successful. Read more: 13 arson incidents reported in 27 hours till this morning: Fire Service

Thirteen arson attacks have been reported across Bangladesh from 6 am on Wednesday (November 08, 2023) till 9 am today (November 09, 2023) during the ongoing 48-hour blockade. Read: 21 arson incidents reported in 38 hrs till Monday evening: Fire Service Of these, five arson attacks were reported in Dhaka City Corporation areas, three in Gazipur, one in Khagrachhari, one in Bogura, two in Barishal and Barguna, and one in Noakhali, said Talha Bin Jasim, station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense's media cell. A total of seven buses, four covered vans, and two trucks were burned during this period. Read: 7 incidents of arson occur Tuesday: Fire Service

Ten people were dead and 27 were injured in 1,475 fire incidents that occurred across Bangladesh last month (October 2023), Fire Service and Civil Defence has said. Of them, 163 fire incidents occurred in Dhaka city where three persons died and 15 suffered injuries, according to a press release issued by the Fire Service today (November 07, 2023). Read: 21 arson incidents reported in 38 hrs till Monday evening: Fire Service The number of fire incidents in Dhaka increased by 8 in October, from 155 in September, reads the press release. According to the statistics, on average more than 5 fire incidents occurred per day in Dhaka city in October, and Mirpur saw most of the fires. However, monthly statistics showed that the number of fire incidents across the country decreased by 102 in October from 1,577 in September. According to the press release, 501 fire incidents occurred in Dhaka division, 55 in Mymensingh, 239 in Chattogram, 213 in Rajshahi, 149 in Khulna, 59 in Sylhet, 66 in Barishal, and 193 in Rangpur last month. Read: Fire Service records 12 arson incidents across country in 11 hrs till Sunday morning As many as 167 people were dead and 830 were injured in other accidents, and the fire service participated in rescue operations involving 846 incidents, it said. Of them, 690 were road accidents, according to the press release. Apart from this, there were 10 accidents caused by gas cylinder explosions, 13 due to faults in gas lines, 21 elevator accidents, 3 lightning incidents, and 58 drowning incidents. Thirty-eight people drowned in rivers, ponds and other water bodies across the country last month. Among them, 44 occurred in Dhaka city areas alone, killing 8 and injuring 7. Read: Mob sets fire to Fire Service vehicle in Dhaka's Shahjahanpur The fire service also said their offices across the country provided services responding to 4,817 calls over incidents of fire and accidents in October. Besides, the fire service also provided ambulance services in response to 1,139 calls. In the month of October, 1,164 patients were transported and provided services across the country.

A bus of ‘Bikalpa Auto Service’ was set on fire by miscreants in Dhaka’s Gulistan area today (November 06, 2023), during the second day of the ongoing 48-hour countrywide blockade called by the BNP, Jamaat and like-minded opposition parties. Fire Service sources said that miscreants set the bus on fire at 2:05 pm in front of Bangabandhu Square Hall Market, and immediately fled the scene. On information, two firefighting units rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze with the help of bystanders and locals. According to sources at Fire Service headquarters, a total of 18 arson incidents were reported across the country from 4 am on Sunday to 10 am today. 48-hour blockade: Two buses set ablaze in Gazipur Of these, 10 arson attacks were reported in Dhaka city, said Talha Bin Jasim, station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense media cell. Bus torched in Khulna’s Rupsha

A total of 21 arson incidents were reported across Bangladesh from 4:00 am on Sunday (November 05, 2023) to 6:00 pm on Monday, (November 06, 2023), according to the Fire Service and Civil Defence. Of these, 12 arson attacks were reported in Dhaka City Corporation areas, said Talha Bin Jasim, station officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense media cell on Monday. Read: Fire Service records 12 arson incidents across country in 11 hrs till Sunday morning The fire official said a total of 16 incidents of arson were reported in Dhaka division, and four in Chattogram division. A total of 16 buses, two trucks, one private car, one CNG-run autorickshaw, and one human hauler were torched during this period. Read: 3-day blockade: 16 arson attacks till this morning, says Fire Service  Forty-one units from the Fire Service and Civil Defence, along with 242 firefighters, were engaged to extinguish the blazes, added the fire officer.