Move chemical factories from old Dhaka: Poba

Eight years after 124 lives perished in a blaze that ripped through Nimtoli in Old Dhaka on June 3, 2010, authorities are yet to take any visible measures to protect local residents from a similar catastrophe, Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba) observed yesterday.

They also demanded that the government remove all risky flammable chemical product factories, warehouses and shops from Old Dhaka to a designated area where fire service and emergency medical facilities would be available, in order to avert tragedies such as the one at Nimtoli.

The call was made from a human chain organised by Poba yesterday near the place of the Nimtoli tragedy, to mark its eighth anniversary.

Aside from negligence of the authorities concerned, lack of fire safety awareness among inhabitants as well as merchants' endless greed are to blame for such incidents, a press release by the environmentalists' organisation said.

Nimtoli and other densely-populated areas in Old Dhaka are still at high risk of a large-scale fire, as several hundred chemical factories, warehouses and shops are still operational there and such installations in residential areas are in complete violation of the country's laws, speakers said at the human chain.

According to Poba, Dhaka city has over 1,000 chemical factories and warehouses, of which more than 850 are illegal.

Even though different government bodies, especially the home ministry, declared that all chemical factories and establishments would be removed from Old Dhaka, no visible steps have been taken all these years, they said.

The fire at Nimtoli had originated from a stove in a building that housed a combustible chemical depot on the ground floor. When the fire came in contact with the chemical, it engulfed eight residential buildings and some 20 shops within a few minutes, burning people alive, according to firefighters.

Poba also demanded tougher actions against such chemical establishments in residential areas under the Environmental Conservation Act-1995, and demanded rehabilitation and compensation to the victims' families from Prime Minister's Relief Fund.