Syed Shemul Parvez :
About 18,104 fire incidents occurred in 2020 across the country and at least two hundred people lost their lives for such incidents. Consequently properties worth taka about 159 crore 25 lakh and 43 thousand have been burnt or damaged in this fatal incidents, said the Fire Service and Civil Defense Headquarters.
There were frequent reports of fire incidents in the capital city, almost everyday throughout the past year.
Thousands of people were undone in the fire. Many families have also lost their earning members.
Most of the fires were the results of human unconsciousness, overcrowding habitation and unplanned urbanisation, urban planners claimed.
In the year 2019, about 184 people met tragic death in 24,074 fire incidents. Of these, 125 victims were from Dhaka, 44 from Chattogram, six from Barisal, four from Rangpur, four from Sylhet and one from Mymensingh.
The loss of properties amounted to taka 330 crore 41 lakh and 56 thousand taka. Meanwhile, figures compiled by the Fire Service from January to October 2020 showed that the highest number of 3,202 fire incidents occurred in March across the country. The most of the incidents happened in capital city.
On September 4, 2020, the worst fire broke out in a Masjid in Fatullah, Narayanganj. A gas explosion inside the masjid burnet to the ground, killing 34 people.
Following the incident, several Titus officials were also sacked for their negligence.
Besides, five people died in another fire at the Corona unit of United Hospital in Gulshan-2 on May 27.
Earlier on February 8, a fatal fire broke out in the T&T Colony slum in city’s Banani. The fire was brought under control by 22 units of the fire service. All the houses in the slum were razed.
On February 27, three people, including a child, were killed in a fire incident in the garage of a five-storey building on Dilu Road in New Eskaton.
According to the fire service, 24 causes of fire incidents were found in the country. Notable sources are Stove, faulty electrical connections, burning butts of cigarette, use of open lights, children playing with fires, collisions between appliances, firing, misfires, chemical reactions, fireworks burning and others.
Of the eight divisions, Dhaka has the highest number of fire incidents. The least incidents happened in Sylhet.
The number of fires in the newly formed Mymensingh division is also higher than in Sylhet.
Dhaka South City Corporation Chief Urban Planner Mohammad Sirajul Islam said about the fire incidents, ‘There are more fire incidents in Dhaka than in the whole country. There are three main reasons behind the incidents. Firstly human unconsciousness, secondly overcrowding habitation and thirdly unplanned urbanisation.
It has been found that the city dwellers are unknowingly lighting the gas stoves or using weak electrical connections.
Lieutenant Colonel Zillur Rahman, Director (Operations and Maintenance) of the Bangladesh Fire Service and Defense Department, said, “Rules have to be followed in everything including building construction and urbanisation.” Firefighting arrangements should be made in every building. In addition, public awareness should be raised about this issue.
However, the fire service has become more capable than before in the fire fighting system, he said,’ Modern equipment has been also added to the fire service. The staff is also more trained than before, Zillur Rahman added.
