LATEST news reports show that yet another fire in the capital’s Madhya Badda burnt down the belongings, including savings, of around a hundred low income families on Monday and it took firefighters an hour to bring the fire under control. A few hundred tin shanties that also housed grocery stores, tea shops and temporary restaurants were gutted in the fire that broke out around 12pm but fortunately there were no human casualties as most residents were away for Eid. A local Awami League leader and Commissioner of Ward No. 21 of Dhaka North City Corporation owns the pond over which the shanties were erected and apparently an electric short-circuit was the probable cause behind the fire, according to the Deputy Assistant Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence of Dhaka. Reports say that locals, however, believe that the fire originated from a stove used by a shanty dweller. When questioned, the ruling party leader claimed that the shanties stand on pillars erected in the water body and have electricity and gas supply but an employee of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd confirmed that the gas connection was illegal.
There is no question about the immense sufferings of the people living in the shanties as their homes, belongings and, for many, opportunities or savings of livelihood were destroyed by the fire.
Such a horrible situation may have been part of prevalent criminal acts of local political leaders who abuse their positions of power and make such unsafe areas of living and due to the lack of space or adequate housing available, poor people do not have a choice but to live in inhuman and unsafe conditions. What is worse, different public bodies such as land officials, service providers like WASA, the electricity suppliers, Titas as well as City Corporation officials are involved in such practices and many get ‘cuts’ of the profits or political favours to keep themselves blind to illegal or unsafe activities.
Many criminals take the opportunity to grab government lands due to prevailing corruption and make quick money through offering the poor barely livable living quarters and when their need is over, the poor are mercilessly evicted by way of dangerous fires or other equally horrible methods. The operative process is very simple. Build shanties on government land(s), earn quick rents, then evict the occupants — setting it on fire is the easy way —and then grab the land finally.
Thus the poor are exploited for grabbing the public land. Unless the government feels any accountability to the people, there is no remedy for saving public land or wealth as a matter of public right.
There is no question about the immense sufferings of the people living in the shanties as their homes, belongings and, for many, opportunities or savings of livelihood were destroyed by the fire.
Such a horrible situation may have been part of prevalent criminal acts of local political leaders who abuse their positions of power and make such unsafe areas of living and due to the lack of space or adequate housing available, poor people do not have a choice but to live in inhuman and unsafe conditions. What is worse, different public bodies such as land officials, service providers like WASA, the electricity suppliers, Titas as well as City Corporation officials are involved in such practices and many get ‘cuts’ of the profits or political favours to keep themselves blind to illegal or unsafe activities.
Many criminals take the opportunity to grab government lands due to prevailing corruption and make quick money through offering the poor barely livable living quarters and when their need is over, the poor are mercilessly evicted by way of dangerous fires or other equally horrible methods. The operative process is very simple. Build shanties on government land(s), earn quick rents, then evict the occupants — setting it on fire is the easy way —and then grab the land finally.
Thus the poor are exploited for grabbing the public land. Unless the government feels any accountability to the people, there is no remedy for saving public land or wealth as a matter of public right.
