POL 101 ASSIGNMENT

“Regarding ways of protecting buildings from fire hazards in Dhaka”

Submitted To:

Khandakar Abdur Raquib

Lecturer, ESS

BRAC University

Submitted By:

Md. Kamruzzaman

ID: 17109035

Date of Submission: 04.04.2020

Introduction:

Dhaka city is one of the world’s largest cities with a population of 10.3 million.
The pace of urbanization has reached its striking peak over the last few decades.
High elevation buildings to slums; the city of Dhaka is full of houses. Nevertheless, the
construction of these institutions is lacking in proper planning, & the housing regulations are not
being implemented. Such unsuitable structures have made Dhaka town's human settlements more
vulnerable to fire hazards. According to the Dhaka tribune, since 1997 the number of fires has
risen more than threefold across Bangladesh; with a daily average of 53 for the year 2018.
Combating fire is moving into a vein with the lack of firefighting resources & jurisdiction for fire
services. Fire danger is one such phenomenon which needs serious attention & the recent events
challenge the authority on the safety issues of people living in Dhaka City.

Historical background

Fire occurrences in Bangladesh have been discovered to triple over 22 years. The number of fire
incidents in Dhaka city is extremely high as compared to other cities. Being the most chaotic
city, this urban hub mainly endangers many manmade hazards to its dwellers. Fire is such a life-
threatening factor with rising incidence day after day. & how one can monitor when the high-rise
buildings are disobeying the protocol of national building code.

Fire Service & Civil Defense statistics showed that around 250,000 fires occurred in the country
between January 1, 1997 & December 31, 2018, according to the online database.1 Fire hazards
are occurring more frequently & causing huge number of loss of lives & properties each year as
time passes. According to BGSCDA’s annual report fire mishap from 2014 to 2016 in
Bangladesh were 16213, 17488 & 16858 respectively whereas only in Dhaka city these number
were 2397, 1977 & 2953 accordingly. The economic loss due to fire hazards mishap is very high

1
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2019/02/26/fire-incidents-in-bangladesh-triple-over-22-
years
in Bangladesh. The average annual economic loss or damage to property worth more than Tk.
400 cores.2

These research data are merely number if the issue is not looked at at the heart. Also experts &
officials expressed concern about the incompetence in ensuring fire-safety measures & the
current building law & code are that fire accidents in Dhaka City. For instance, if we look at the
fire accident in BSEC Bhaban at Karwan Bazaar on 26 February 2007 was caused due an electric
short-circuit. There were no appropriate fire exits or proper training to use fire extinguishers
which led to a divesting state for the people who wanted to escape. On February 26, 2007, four
people died & at least 50 were injured as the fire raged through the multi-storey BSEC Bhaban.
One of the deceased was an employee of NTV.3 Fire in factory cum residential building at old
Dhaka on 4th April 2007 explains the adversity of narrow locked pathways & the distance of fire
station. However, Dhaka city cannot even turn its back from the misfortune when it comes to
high rise buildings. The Bashundhara fire on 13 march 2009 is an example of it.

The preceding fire hazards were supposed to put a spotlight on the issue but it failed. Fire
department officials believe there is a very simple explanation why such a large number of the
buildings surveyed do not have the basic steps that the BNBC was drafted in 1993 & published
as a govt. gazette which was implemented after 1 & half decade. In light of this fact, managing
the mishap of fire hazards is very difficult for an immensely populated Dhaka city.

Significance of the issue & current situation:

The chief executive of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (BELA), revealed the data
that at least 16,000 incidents of fire have occurred around the country in the last 10 years, killing
1,590 people.4

2
http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jestft/papers/Vol12-%20Issue%205/Version-1/G1205014656.pdf
3
http://mosaddakali.com/news/Fire-BSEC-26-February-2007.html
4
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/2019/03/28/16-000-fire-incidents-in-10-
years?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=77ac7adbbbc4dcab5b2ab1c469e02d934809657c-1585933043-0-
AaOmVq0NSFw4RWnpFalGniv5AKTuCAeCL1ScYeR69lOVg0f5O3DR56wzyj3_GMKICdgijJD3NMYwi5DQMR0kxGJVdZ
yU5iMG0YQIyq97A1TP6lDTMu3OfM64ydtyUCsg4EXga4mJDLZrbsd9nC9tNpsZQXAoJEpFN5Pl4dRnN9as-
dSJSUniWHOKdCISLvms5AQVJCE7p-PucErtmUM5Sjf_UBPH4wdkJseevCIjCJGud2PB4poX_yG-
The old Dhaka, owing to inadequate construction planning, was & still is at high risk. The
houses & factories are crowded together as a result the whole city is at risk if one building
collapse. There are approximately 20,000 small godowns & manufacturing facilities where
people operate & supply different goods to Dhaka residents & around the world. These factories
use highly flammable materials; they can turn a simple fire into enormous fire. Considering the
roads & high density area the firefighters are unable to reach on time; & despite the fire safety
concerns, people are extremely deficient in awareness. Old Dhaka's fire at Nimtoli occurred
about nine years ago & the February 2019 Chawkbazar fire is examples of the situation
mentioned.

A building's basic fire-safety measure not only lacks in old Dhaka but also lack in highly
commercial such as Banani. The fire in FR tower is perfect to highlight the issue.

It was the greed of the building owners, developer & Rajuk officials that led to FR Tower
fire tragedy which claimed the lives of 26 people, said the public works minister at a meet-
the-press in the capital today.5— does the building have fire-fighting equipment? Is it
overcrowded? Does it have exits from emergency? Does the institution hold exercises for
evacuation? Was there any risk of an electrical fire? Is there a source of underground water? The
buildings failed to fulfilled the requirements yet is was build & the current situation alarmingly
common.

We can’t ignore the RMG sectors when it comes to fire incidents. If we take into account
previous records the consequences are huge but the cause is still the same. Electrical short
circuit, faulty electrical wiring, smoking materials, boiler explosion, cooking stove, carelessness,
fire from existing structures etc. may cause fire. But normally, it is not the direct fire that causes
death. Instead, people died as a result of stampede, closed exits, insufficient number of stairs,
intentionally blocked roads, smoke & suffocation, & even false alarm. Blaming & fixing the
security issue measure for the building would therefore not solve the problem.

y36EAMVtCCbQ05yImFR9mScHAVLvzljytZmlqSusS_eXd0jX0IvVkb3jgFM7YaY9QUy5CEI55PjP0Eq8u-
UMiMtjhSSf2kwk_W-WnFa7fQ9o-Jmhd4CS
5
https://www.thedailystar.net/country/greedy-owners-rajuk-caused-dhaka-banani-fr-tower-fire-minister-1725793
We need to find the other aspects of fire hazards such as precautionary measures & a good traiig
facilities. In an interview with Dhaka Tribune Iqbal Habib, an urban expert & architect, said that
the number of fires marked a gradual increase in population density & unsafe house construction
in Bangladesh for three main reasons –

 unplanned
 unregulated urbanization
 Increased use of technology without proper knowledge of its use.

Solution:

There are other steps the govt. & the publicca take to address the situation. In addition, Dhaka
City now has 13 fire stations fitted with approximately 20 vehicles including water carrying
tenders, & pickup vans for pump carrying. The department only has two hydraulic ladders that
can hose water to a building's 14th floor at maximum. According to the Bangladesh National
Building Codes (BNBC), any building above six floors is by default a high-rise building.
Building owners must follow the rules of fire safety & install firefighting equipment in such
buildings. Building owners must receive permission from the Fire Service before completing
construction work. Fire Service must inspect the building & whether the structure complies with
all fires & provide a No Objection Certificate (NOC)6

Furthermore, The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, also known as "the Alliance" or
AFBWS, is a group of 28 major global retailers formed to develop & launch the Bangladesh
Worker Safety Initiative, a binding, five-year undertaking with the intent of improving safety in
Bangladeshi ready-made garment (RMG) factories after the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse.
Followed by the Accord on Fire & Building Safety in Bangladesh (the Accord) was signed on 15
May 2013. It is a five-year independent, legally binding agreement between global & retailers &
trade unions designed to build a safe & healthy Bangladeshi Ready Made Garment (RMG)

6
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/rules-and-regulations/2019/03/29/fire-safety-what-is-the-law
Industry.7 Such two agencies are working intensely in Bangladesh to prevent any further
incidents.

There are some additional situations which can work with the above institutions side by side.
They are:

 Ensure that the factory inspectorate is equipped with the requisite tools for routine job
protection & labor law enforcement inspections, including the BNBC codes & Factory
Act.
 Provides a sufficient number of emergency exits & leaves these exits open & unimpeded
during working hours so that workers can evacuate teams & equipment quickly & safely
in the event of emergencies & rescue & firefight.
 Complies with gas lines & electrical wiring regulations, fire-retardant materials in walls
& roofs, safe use of equipment used in multi-story buildings & installation of functioning
public address systems, emergency lighting & other warning & response measures.

However, the solutions discussed in the above paragraphs might have some limitations. The
biggest criticism against the fire fighters is that they frequently arrive at the fire place late. Most
of the time they had to check for reserve water from nearby buildings or other sources which are
rarely found to be enough. In addition, the nation doesn't have helicopters designed to keep high-
rise flames down. Most significantly, it is not possible to render buildings 100% proof of fire, but
loss.

7
https://admin.bangladeshaccord.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Accord-Building-Standard.pdf
Conclusion

Bangladesh is growing at a significant pace but this may slow down if the fire-incident is not
properly managed. The magnitude of the problem can be learnt every day by reading the papers.
Such kinds of things happen every now & then & yet the govt. & the public & proprietors do
nothing. We still look at the dead rate of any incident but the pain suffered by family members or
wounded persons is enormous. Earlier official steps are required in the following years to be
taken seriously.

References:

 https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-43117
 https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2019/02/26/fire-incidents-in-bangladesh-triple-over-22-
years
 https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-87350
 https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/2019/03/28/16-000-fire-incidents-in-10-years
 https://www.workersrights.org/communications-to-affiliates/recent-tragedies-and-fire-safety-in-
bangladesh/
 https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/dhaka-fire-not-just-hugely-risky-1721887
 https://www.thedailystar.net/star-infrastructure/news/fire-safety-issues-buildings-dhaka-city-1722730
 https://www.academia.edu/24603228/Fire_Hazard_Management_of_Dhaka_City_Addressing_Issues_Rela
ting_to_Institutional_Capacity_and_Public_Perception
 https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/dhaka-fire-not-just-hugely-risky-1721887
 https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/dhaka-fire-not-just-hugely-risky-1721887
 https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/spotlight/news/why-are-factories-deemed-unsafe-still-
operational-1734106
 https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/rules-and-regulations/2019/03/29/fire-safety-what-is-the-law
 https://www.thedailystar.net/star-weekend/thinking-beyond-accord-and-alliance-1393888