More than 200 readymade garment factories (RMG) are in risk of fire given their lack of effective fire safety management.
Gazipur Fire Service claims that given the number of fatal fire incidents in the country, they put up awareness posters at the factories and buildings but the authorities pay no heed putting the lives of thousands of people at risk.
They said that although garment authorities tear down the banners claiming that they have taken necessary fire safety steps, fire service will continue its operations against faulty building owners.
Garment factory workers in Gazipur said that most of the factories don’t have adequate fire safety management in place to deal with a crisis.
They lack necessary fire extinguishing equipments such as water pumps, gas mask, smoke detector, fire exits, water reserves and extinguishers. The few extinguishers that are seen hanging on the walls are expired.
Gazipur Fire Service Deputy Director Akhtaruzzaman told Bangla Tribune that 20 percent of the factories in Gazipur were at risk from fire.
“Many of the buildings were constructed in violation of the law and despite the repeated letters sent to them, the building authorities refuse to respond,” he said.
He added that they also refuse to listen to the many warnings that Fire Service issued to take necessary fire safety measures.
“Recently we have inspected some if the buildings and have hung banners on the risky buildings, marking them,” he said and added that very soon mobile courts will also start taking steps against them.
Akhtaruzzaman said that Fire Service clearance is compulsory before construction of multi-storied buildings.
He added that many buildings don’t have that clearance and even the ones that do don’t have adequate fire extinguishing equipments.
“This is the reason why every year workers are dying in fires and assets worth millions are going up in smoke.”
The fire service official said that the rules must be followed in order to make all the garment factories safe.