Editorial
Fire at public buildings
Its frequency warrants internal precautions
THE explosion and blaze at the massive BCIC Sadan at Motijheel mostly housing commercial organisations is another eye-opener to how vulnerable public buildings have become to accidental, callous and, sometimes, suspiciously deliberate, fire incidents. But for the day being a holiday, the number of casualties, would have been much higher. Still, it is considerable: one killed and ten injured, eight of them critically. Some of the office space reportedly had chemicals or other inflammable material in it.
Only day before yesterday, two fire incidents occurred at the BNP central office at Naya Paltan and a residential building at Baridhara respectively. These may have been in a different category, but the propensity to fire seems to be on the increase, generally. We often hear of close brushes with fire or other hazards at public places, shopping malls and other commercial houses. The alarming fires at Banga Bazar and the Basundhara city shopping mall are still fresh in public memory. But with what lessons learned?
It is not unsurprising, given the sweeping under the carpet that goes on about the real causes of fire which seldom get established -- thanks to saving skin and shirking responsibility. In the BCIC building fire, one is at a loss to understand what might have triggered the explosion and fire. First, there was a huge bang with an air-conditioner and other electronic equipment blowing up and hitting glass walls on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors of Alico building which is but opposite to BCIC building. Some say the fire might have originated in a gas pipe line or an air-conditioner blast. The other conjecture is that the shut-out Padma Fabric had in store different chemicals which could have set off the explosion. There is a contrary view also.
All in all, it is a smoke screen after fire and smoke -- as usual. For once at least, the investigation team should get to the bottom of the incident and fix responsibility. The authorities of commercial houses and public buildings should be alerted by the government as to the fire hazards they carry and the dire need for mounting safety precautions in their respective establishments.
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