It is extremely alarming that out of 1,126 private and government-owned malls, supermarkets and kitchen markets in the capital, 1,080 were found to be noncompliant with mandatory fire-safety standards, according to an inspection report by Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence. That means a staggering 96 percent of the commercial establishments surveyed have been operating for years without fire-safety clearance and licence posing serious risks to public safety. And when the inspection was extended across the country the number rose to an even higher 98 percent.
Why were these enterprises allowed to run for all these years? That's because the Department of Fire Service, unfortunately, does not have the authority to force them to follow the fire safety rules or shut them down when they are in violation. It has to depend on other departments such as the city corporations, district administration and police. How long that can take given the complex bureaucratic tangle is anyone's guess. The Department of Fire Safety has, in the past, put forward formal requests to these authorities to ensure that commercial establishments be compliant but to no avail.
Markets and malls that fail to install fire safety equipment and provisions are serious accidents waiting to happen. The Gulshan market fire in January should come as a wakeup call to authorities as well as business owners. Businesses must have basic fire safety facilities and installations including fire detection and alarm systems, extinguishers, hose reels with water connection, safe spaces, trained in-house fire fighting team and fire escape route. Companies should be trained on fire safety measures and the city corporations should cancel trade licences of those who break the rules.