Old Dhaka still not safe

About four years into the Nimtoli fire tragedy, the old part of the capital that boasts thriving chemical markets is still at risk of fire accidents.
Chemical warehouses and stores, mostly located in residential complexes, are seen aplenty in Armanitola, Nabab Katra, Bangshal, Sat Rowza, Siddique Bazar, Babubazar and Mitford areas of Old Dhaka.
The issue has come to the fore again following the death of four people in a blaze at a chemical shop in the city's Tejgaon area on Thursday.
In 2010, at least 123 people were killed in a chemical inferno at Nimtoli in Old Dhaka, causing a public outcry to relocate chemical warehouses and stores from the area.
Things have changed for the better in Nimtoli since then, but not in other parts of Old Dhaka.

Flammable chemicals are stored on the ground floor of many residential buildings, blurring the difference between residential and industrial spaces.
This goes on while the government sits on its decision to relocate chemical warehouses from residential areas.
In April 2011, the government decided to shift all chemical warehouses from residential areas to industrial zones in Keraniganj or Kamrangir Char.
Asked about the progress in this regard, Moinuddin Abdullah, secretary at the industries ministry, said the process was underway, and a committee was formed to that end.
He declined to give details.
In many parts of Old Dhaka, chemical warehouses and stores are located close to residential buildings and private hospitals.
For instance, Eastern Diagnostic Centre is atop several chemical stores selling flammable substances on Mitford road. The diagnostic centre doesn't have any emergency staircase for patients. A narrow stairway is all it has.
Similarly, Moonlight Clinic and Diagnostic Hospital, boasting an array of specialist consultants, is located right above chemical warehouses.
None of its administrative staff was available for comment yesterday.  
A lack of awareness among locals about the hazards of chemicals is also a matter of concern.
Two-wheeled carts loaded with barrels of flammable lubricant plied the narrow roads of Armanitola when this correspondent visited the area. A spark from a carelessly-thrown cigarette stub would be enough to make them explode.
Three people died in a fire at a shop selling chemicals for making deodorants in Chhoto Katra area on April 3 when a worker lit up a cigarette while others were pouring the liquid from one jar to another.
However, the picture is now different at Nimtoli.
No chemical warehouses or stores are there in the narrow stretch of the road, as local traders relocated their shops to other places.
Locals said they didn't get any help from the government for relocating those from Nimtoli.
A building that once had a chemical warehouse on its ground floor now houses a cafe.
Building's owner Mohammad Aslam said, “We have seen what can happen if we keep chemicals near our homes. How can we keep those here?”