CHEMICAL warehouses are still running brisk business in old Dhaka under the protection of a section of local political leaders and corrupt law enforcement agencies having easily securing trade licenses from concerned government agencies, said a report in a national daily on Friday. It said the two fatal fire incidents – one at Churihatta in 2018 and the other at Nimtoli in 2010 leaving over 200 dead and as many injured seems to have left no impact although chemical warehouses were immediately banned in the crowded old city following both the incidents. They were also ordered to relocate outside the city.
The reports based on a research findings by Transparency International, Bangladesh, released Thursday has made no secret that an unholy nexus between police, traders and members of other law enforcement agencies are jointly protecting the illegal warehouses risking public safety. The report said fires from warehouses are almost a regular phenomenon pointing to at least 468 incidents in 2018 before the Churihatta fire. These were reported from Lalbagh, Hazaribagh, Sadarghat and Siddikbazar to suggest that people were exposed to serious danger any time.
But question arises why so many sensitive fire incidents — may be small and were easily extinguished — were not widely reported and why local bodies responsible for public safety were mum. We believe in the credibility of the TIB report and in our view the behavior of all such government agencies – 10 together to ensure safety in old city — must be neutrally investigated. We apprehend wealthy traders may have bought their silence, house owners who rent space for hefty money may go on ignoring the risk, but we can’t wait until another big fire hits the old city.
It is terribly shocking that over 15000 chemical warehouses still exist in the old city despite the fact that the government has taken at least four projects to relocate plastic and chemical industries outside the city. Their progress remained stalled evidently stakeholders don’t want it. It is openly intriguing that South City Corporation, Dhaka District Administration and such other agencies sell trade license at high cost and businesses hang them to run chemical trade. Police don’t block such stock. We want to say all warehouses must be removed from old city forthwith.
The reports based on a research findings by Transparency International, Bangladesh, released Thursday has made no secret that an unholy nexus between police, traders and members of other law enforcement agencies are jointly protecting the illegal warehouses risking public safety. The report said fires from warehouses are almost a regular phenomenon pointing to at least 468 incidents in 2018 before the Churihatta fire. These were reported from Lalbagh, Hazaribagh, Sadarghat and Siddikbazar to suggest that people were exposed to serious danger any time.
But question arises why so many sensitive fire incidents — may be small and were easily extinguished — were not widely reported and why local bodies responsible for public safety were mum. We believe in the credibility of the TIB report and in our view the behavior of all such government agencies – 10 together to ensure safety in old city — must be neutrally investigated. We apprehend wealthy traders may have bought their silence, house owners who rent space for hefty money may go on ignoring the risk, but we can’t wait until another big fire hits the old city.
It is terribly shocking that over 15000 chemical warehouses still exist in the old city despite the fact that the government has taken at least four projects to relocate plastic and chemical industries outside the city. Their progress remained stalled evidently stakeholders don’t want it. It is openly intriguing that South City Corporation, Dhaka District Administration and such other agencies sell trade license at high cost and businesses hang them to run chemical trade. Police don’t block such stock. We want to say all warehouses must be removed from old city forthwith.
