Justice eludes Churihatta fire victims

As is often seen in the wake of tragedies in Bangladesh, it seems the authorities have all but forgotten about the 71 lives lost in a warehouse fire that took place in a residential building in Chawkbazar's Churihatta area on February 20, 2019. How else would you explain the behaviour of the owners of the same building who, again, rent out its basement parking lot as a warehouse for plastic toys (a known fire hazard)? Even after three years since the tragedy, the renovated basement has no fire exits, and only four fire extinguishers. Warehouses like this continue to fly in the face of the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Rules 1997, which states that no industrial units using hazardous chemicals or goods can operate in and around a residential area. 

The accused in the Churihatta fire case, including the building owners, are currently out on bail, enjoying their unearned freedom. Conversely, the families of the victims and survivors, far from getting justice, are living a life of uncertainty. Out of the 71 people who died, the families of only 21 received some compensation from the government. Others got shops to run or cleaning jobs with the DSCC. This is but a poor attempt at making up for their loss, barely enough to sustain an average family. 

And what of the reported Tk 30 crore deposited into the government's national relief fund solely to help the survivors and victims' families? A collective of the families says that they have not received a penny from that fund, not even in the form of a loan. How heart-wrenching that the families of those who perished in a fire caused by the authorities' negligence should have to plead for compensations that they are entitled to. 

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation's promise to relocate the chemical stores and plastic factories of Old Dhaka to a designated place after the Nimtoli fire—which killed at least 124 people on June 3, 2010—remains unfulfilled. At least 1,924 chemical warehouses are currently operating in the area, 98 percent of which falling in the category of "moderately risky." Their number, of course, would be much higher if we count all the residential buildings housing illegally set up warehouses like the one mentioned above. 

We urge the government to speed up the pace of its warehouse relocation process. New establishments stocking hazardous materials in Old Dhaka must be prevented from being set up, while existing factories must be shuttered as soon as possible regardless of when the relocation project is completed. Most importantly, victims and survivors of previous fire tragedies must be given justice and due compensation.