High Court orders hanging notices on fire-prone buildings
RAJUK says said the authority will identify the fire-prone buildings in the capital and hang pre-cautionary notice in front of them within 10 days
The High Court has instructed the fire service and civil defence department to display notices in visible places of buildings marked as fire accident-prone by the agency.
The emergency service department has already started complying with the order.
On Tuesday, a mobile court of the Dhaka South City Corporation launched an operation to find a lack of fire-fighting systems in restaurants in the Khilgaon area of the capital.
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Fire service and civil defence personnel also accompanied the team.
Initially, fire service personnel inspected the 8-storey restaurant building known as Sky View Nightingale Tower.
They discovered a 3-foot ladder instead of the required 3-metre one. Additionally, there was a lack of fire extinguishers within the building.
Although a few restaurants were operational, the majority were closed by workers.
Due to safety concerns regarding the precarious rooftop, the raid team promptly sealed off the entire building.
Later, a notice was hung on the building by the fire service to inform the public of the situation, saying, "This building is extremely vulnerable in terms of fire safety as per the Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Act 2003. All concerned are requested to be alert."
Meanwhile, Md Anisur Rahman Mia, chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), said on Tuesday the authority will identify the fire-prone buildings in the capital and hang notice in front of them within 10 days.
"Our officials are now carrying out inspection to identify the dangerous buildings in Rajuk area," he told reporters at an event. The notice will state "This building is dangerous, do not enter here", he added.
Over the last six months, officials from 24 RAJUK zones have been paying visits to the city shopping malls and the areas where people gather every week, involving officials of two city corporations of Dhaka, fire service and electricity department, he claimed.
He further said, "If any building owner does not hang the warning notice, we will take action against them."
The Rajuk chief said they have found more than 350 schools in the capital, mostly in residential areas, are at risk of fire. "We can no longer evacuate the schools. However, we have asked for an emergency exit at a different place."
