Do we not deserve to live in safety?

The Chawkbazar and Banani fires are a clear testament to our indifference towards public safety. In policymaking, public safety should take precedence over everything else but, sadly, that is not the case. We read about news on fire-related incidents and road accidents too frequently.

Corruption has made its way into almost every sector and we are, it seems, getting more and more morally corrupt every day. The Rana Plaza collapse and Tazreen Fashion fire that claimed numerous lives are some of the most shocking incidents that the country has ever witnessed. These incidents were later seen as the catalyst that prompted the RMG sector to undergo a comprehensive overhaul. So will it take more fire-related tragedies for the authorities to take action to make our buildings safe? We must remember that all these recent incidents were completely avoidable, and they could have been averted had the authorities concerned done their job properly. Previously, many had taken to the streets to make their voices heard, and many chose to vent their frustration on social media, but all these grievances had fallen on deaf ears.

Corruption and lack of accountability in the prevailing system are two of the major reasons why such incidents keep happening. Rooting these out may seem like an impossible task but we, as citizens, must not stop demanding for change.

Abu Hasnat Evna Mostafa

Corporate HR Executive, Ananta Companies