Rajshahi at risk of terrible fire anytime: Part 1

The city of Rajshahi is at risk of terrible fire incident at any moment as most the divisional city’s residential buildings, restaurants, shopping malls and other buildings do not have adequate fire safety measures.

During recent spot visits at different markets, restaurants, public and private institutions, mosques, hostels, residential hotels in various places of Rajshahi, this correspondent found that 90 percent of these buildings do not have adequate fire safety measures which is really alarming. But none of those who live or stay in these buildings have any concern about it.

Despite the imminent risk, there is no visible action by Fire Service and Civil Defence, Rajshahi City Corporation, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, Rajshahi District Administration or any other government related government agencies in this regard.

As a result, security analysts apprehend that an unexpected major fire accident may occur in Rajshahi city at any moment, causing extensive damage of properties and loss of life.

During visits at the buildings at Saheb Bazar Zero Point, RDA Market, Saheb Bazar Kaparpatti, Swarnapatti, Sandel Patti, Ganakapara, Malopara, Joy Bangla Chattor, Bata intersection, Sonadighi intersection and its surrounding areas, it was found that most of them have no fire safety measures at all.

At ‘Shibganj Sweets’ in Saheb Bazar, the workers were preparing food in a dangerous atmosphere by placing gas cylinders near the stove. No fire extinguishing equipment was found there. Just beside it, at ‘Rasmela’, the scenario was the same.

A little further, near the main gate of RDA Market, a trader was busy preparing food on a gas stove in an open space on the pavement beside the road. The gas cylinder was placed beside the stove in which he was preparing food.

On the road in front of Saheb Bazar Bara Jama Masjid, a cook was preparing food in a gas stove placed on the street in front of Jannat Bakery. There were two gas cylinders on both sides of the stove.

Some 10/12 gas cylinders filled with gas were kept unprotected on the footpath near the wall of a market near the east gate of Jalil Biswas Point of Saheb Bazar Zero Point. Bidyut Hotel and Restaurant is located nearby where cooking and frying was going on in the ovens kept in a row, just beside 10/12 gas cylinders crammed together in a small space. The stoves were being operated by those gas cylinders.

Such scenarios are a common phenomenon in small or big eateries at every corner of Rajshahi. Gas cylinders and stoves are being used in almost every tea shop, hotel, restaurants and home across the entire Rajshahi city.

As the use and demand of gas cylinders has increased, so has the sale and purchase of gas cylinders. As a result, gas cylinders are now being sold in every alleys of the city.

However, correct and adequate instructions over fire safety are not ensured in the use or purchase of gas cylinders. Gas stove pipes and gas cylinders have fixed lifetimes. Expired gas cylinders and pipes can also cause explosions. Due to indiscriminate sale of expired gas cylinders and pipes of stove, the divisional city is becoming increasingly prone to imminent fire disaster.

Most of the houses in Rajshahi city do not have adequate fire safety system and most of the residents have no fire extinguishing training. Various developer companies are constructing numerous multi-storied buildings all over the city. But the real estate companies do not pay importance to the issue of fire safety in the construction of these multi-storied buildings. It has been observed that many multi-storied buildings constructed by developers are not equipped with fire safety measures. Fire hydrants are not installed at all in these multi-storied buildings.

Md Ihteshamul Alam, president of youth organisation Swachchhalata Association, said, "We have no water (fire) hydrant in Rajshahi city. Our ponds are finished; those have vanished into thin air. As the ponds are filled up, during a fire extinguishing situation, the supply of water cannot be ensured at all.”

Asked about the importance of 'fire hydrant' in firefighting, Abu Sama, senior station manager of Rajshahi Fire Service and Civil Defence, said, “Fire hydrant is very effective and important in firefighting as it ensures availability and adequacy of our water.”

“However, despite being effective and important in firefighting, fire hydrants are absent in almost all multi-storied buildings in Rajshahi except for one or two,” he added.

Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence Rajshahi Division Md Ohidul Islam said, “New urbanisation is happening in Rajshahi. Fire hydrants can be installed in the buildings of Rajshahi in coordination with Rajshahi WASA.”

Visiting Lotto's 1,800 square feet outlet, located at Ganakapara in the city, this correspondent found no fire extinguisher. Although, there is a fire extinguisher at the Lotto outlet in Bata intersection, but there are obstacles in its use.

The fire extinguisher at the Apex outlet had only three days to be expired. At Jalil Biswas Point located at Sahib Bazar Zero Point in Rajshahi, it was seen that its fire extinguishers had expired on May 23, 2023. However, it was still hanging on the wall.

Visiting the RDA market in Rajshahi, it was found that the fire extinguishers there had expired in January 2023. However, some fire extinguishers have been installed in the RDA market on March 16. But, even if those have been installed, the shopkeepers and employees in the market do not know its proper use.

Some of the shopkeepers and employees of RDA Market claimed to have been trained in using fire extinguishers, but they could not give correct answers when asked about it.
"I don't know how to use it," said Sabuj, an employee of RDA Market's Rodesi Cloth Store. "I can't use this machine," said Nafisa Matching Centre employee Shihab.

Shima, an employee of Arafat Matching Corner, said, “Installing fire extinguishers is not enough. No training has been provided. Training is required. Not only this market, but the entire Rajshahi is not safe. Action must be taken.”

So it can be concluded that even if the fire extinguishers are placed in the RDA market, they will not be of any use in times of danger due to the lack of proper training.

Atiqur Rahman Atiq, general secretary of Youth Action for Social Change, a research-oriented youth organisation in Rajshahi, said, “Not only the markets, but the entire Rajshahi is at risk of fire. Even after being identified as vulnerable, due to invisible reasons, effective action is not being taken in this regard.”

Once upon a time, Rajshahi used to be a city of ponds. There were 952 ponds in Rajshahi which had been lost long time ago. The influential people have filled up the reservoirs to construct multi-storied buildings there. Reduced reservoirs are increasing the risk of accidents.

Upen Rabidas, President of Rajshahi District Committee of Adibasi Juba Parishad, said, "We need to preserve the water sources. Due to the lack of water sources in the vicinity, the city is becoming vulnerable. If a fire erupts, it would not be possible to douse it due to the lack of water source. Due to the delay in extinguishing the fire, the damage naturally would be bigger.”

(This is the part-1 of a 2-part series)