‘Prioritise fire safety in semi-formal markets’
City planners have called for prioritising overall safety issues, including fire safety in semi-formal markets in different urban areas, including Dhaka, in light of the massive fire at Bangabazar Market in the capital recently.
They made the call at an event, titled "Fire Hazards in Bangabazar and Sub-Formal Market Fire Risk: IPD's Observation", organised by the Institute for Planning and Development (IPD) yesterday.
IPD's Executive Director Prof Adil Muhammad Khan said, "Although the Bangabazar market has been identified as vulnerable to fire, the state institutions as well as the city corporation and fire service are relieved of responsibility only by issuing notice. As the owner of the market, it was the responsibility of the city corporation to take full measures for fire safety to avoid the loss of life and property."
IPD Advisor Prof Akhter Mahmud said through a detailed survey of informal markets across the country, the steps to reduce fire hazards according to the fire code and building code should be specified.
Planner Abu Taher said for markets such as Bangabazar, it's necessary to improve the fire prevention and detection system along with electrical safety auditing.
"It's also important to have a fire safety and emergency exit plan, in addition to setting up a fire control room in every market," he added.
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