Chemical warehouse relocation still a far cry

Though Old Dhaka in the capital is one of the most important business hubs in the country, residents of the area are living with death risks. As many as 25 thousand chemical warehouses are situated in the area while the relocation process is underway for 17 years. 

Charge sheet pressed three years after Churihatta tragedy

Police have submitted charge-sheet against 8 people over the deadly blaze at Wahed Mansion in Churihatta of Chakbazar three years after the incident occurred. The inferno which broke out on 20 February 2019, claimed some 71 lives.

Earlier on 3 June in 2010, another fire broke out in Nimtoli of Old Dhaka killing at least 124 people. However, no visible initiative has been taken so far to relocate the chemical warehouses.

The drive against chemical godowns launched after the Churihatta incident in 2019 was suspended within a couple of weeks. No drive was launched after 4 March in 2019. On 11 December last year, another fire at Prime Pet and Plastic Industries factory in Keraniganj killed at least 22 lives.

All the fire incidents at chemical warehouses were reported in Old Dhaka in recent years. There are about 25 thousand chemical warehouses Lalgbag, Chakbazar, Hajaribag, Kamrangichar, Bongshal, Kotwali, Shyampur and Kadamtoli.

Chemical industrial park facing financial crisis

The construction of the proposed chemical industrial park in Sirajdikhan of Munshiganj came to a standstill due to the financial crisis. As a result, the Industries ministry sought taka 820 crore in the current fiscal year. The ministry sent a letter to the planning commission on 29 October last year.  

As many as 308.33 acres of land will be acquired for the construction of the industrial park under Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC). According to the revised project proposal, taka 1 thousand 2 crore is required for the land acquisition.  Of them, the district administration has been given taka 103 crore 74 lakh in advance for the purpose.

Sources said, the home ministry took plan to build an industrial park in 2004 but was not implemented. Later, BSCIC took another plan titled ‘Chemical Park, Dhaka’. A decision was taken to construct a Chemical Park on 50-acre land featuring modern facilities aiming to reduce accidents. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the project in 2018 involving taka 201 crore 81 lakh.