Chemical factories don’t appear to be removed soon even as tragedy strikes Old Dhaka again

Nine years ago, an investigation committee, formed by the home ministry in the aftermath of the fire that ravaged Old Dhaka’s Nimtali, in its report on June 15, 2010 made 17 recommendations to prevent such incidents in future.

Topping the list was the need to remove chemical factories and warehouses from Old Dhaka.

Nine years later, the most important recommendation remains unheeded.

Tasked with removing chemical factories and warehouses from Old Dhaka, the Dhaka South City Corporation had launched an eviction drive in March 2017. But their efforts ended only a few days later.

Mayor Sayeed Khokon is adamant that the city corporation did not spare any effort in this matter. But authorities had to abandon the drive at the insistence of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries, the country’s apex trade organisation.

“We were conducting a massive drive. We’d shut down a number of factories and started cases against their owners. But then the FBCCI and the industries minister asked me to delay the drive until the BSCIC industrial estate was ready,” says Mayor Khokon.

“The initiative ground to a halt as a result of their requests. Otherwise, we would have pushed these factories out in one go.”

But another drive to remove chemical factories and warehouses was launched earlier this year, says Khokon.

“We’d installed a mobile court last Monday. We met the representatives of the FBCCI and chemical factories before that. We gave them a list of 29 combustible substances that were not allowed to stock in warehouses even though they could keep samples of these.”

“The factory owners were told to move their warehouses to Keraniganj. They would only complete transactions in Old Dhaka while the deliveries would be made from Keraniganj. But the fire broke out in the middle of the process,” he adds.

Different types of chemicals and flammable substances are stored in the Chawkbazar locality where the fire broke out. According to experts, these substances only serve to intensify the flames.

Mayor Khokon believes the mentality of the people of Old Dhaka adds to the risk of such incidents.

“Building owners don’t want the warehouses moved as the rent that can be charged for a warehouse is double that of a residential flat.”

The difficulty in locating warehouses has also hindered the city corporation’s efforts to clear them out, according to him.

“There are thousands of buildings in Old Dhaka within which small rooms are used as warehouses. This makes it very difficult to locate the warehouses. It has also hindered our efforts to clear out the warehouses.”

Despite initiatives to relocate Dhaka’s chemical factories and chemicals to Keraniganj as per the 2010 report, the ‘BSCIC Chemical Palli, Dhaka’ – the designated area for housing such institutions – was green-lighted only in last year’s October 30.

The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSIC) will implement the Tk 2 billion project. A project director was appointed on January 3 this year, according to a BSCIC official, bdnews24.com reports.

Mayor Khokon again points the finger at the Ministry of Industries for the delay.

“Despite taking the responsibility to develop the Chemical Palli, the industries ministry has been slow to move ahead with the project. The area was meant to be prepared immediately after the Nimtali tragedy of 2010.”

“We urged them to finish the work quickly. But they couldn’t make progress due to complications over the acquisition of the land and have only now started the work.”

But according to BSCIC officials, the delay was caused by the lack of cooperation from chemical substance traders.