What happened in the 2010 Nimtoli fire?
The 2010 Nimtoli fire remains one of the deadliest tragedies in Bangladesh – a disaster that claimed 124 lives and exposed the dangers of unregulated chemical storage in residential areas.
Fifteen years on, families of the victims continue to wait for justice as there has been no substantive progress in the investigation.
How the fire started
The fire broke out on 3 June 2010 in the Nimtoli area of Old Dhaka's Chankharpul.
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It originated from a chemical warehouse situated in a densely populated residential building.
The flames spread rapidly through the narrow lanes and adjoining houses.
Despite the scale of the tragedy, the cause of the fire remains officially unknown.
No one has been held accountable to date.
No investigation despite the scale of tragedy
In 2021, former Bangshal police inspector Abul Hasan, now officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station, had said that only a general diary (GD) was filed after the fire and no formal case was ever registered.
"No investigation took place after the general diary was filed," he had said.
Another officer revealed that the police station could not even locate a copy of the GD as of 2021.
Victims still bear the scars
Many survivors and families of the victims continue to live with physical and emotional wounds.
Mamun Mia lost his seven-year-old son in the fire and suffered severe burns to his head, hands, and ears.
"We don't even know who owned the chemical warehouse or whose fault caused the fire," he had said.
Four years after the tragedy, he took a high-interest loan to restart his damaged fruit business.
"The fire was doused, my wounds are healing, but I will never recover from the wounds in my mind," he said.
Syed Makbul Ali, who lost his wife in the blaze, said the government provided one-time cash compensation but no long-term support.
"Nobody cares anymore about those who were affected," he said.
The danger still exists
In 2021, Fire Service Assistant Director Abdul Halim confirmed that the 2010 fire originated from a chemical warehouse and warned that "many such warehouses are still secretly operating in that area."
Local residents echoed his concern, saying the risk of another similar tragedy remains high due to continued negligence and lack of vigilance by authorities.
Fifteen years later, the Nimtoli fire stands as a grim reminder for safeguarding lives in Dhaka's hazardous chemical warehouses.
