FIRE SAFETY STATUS OF CAPITAL’S HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS HC directs govt to submit report in 4 months

The High Court Division on Monday directed Rajuk, the two mayors and the fire service and civil defence to jointly submit a report on fire safety status of the high rise buildings in the capital.
The court asked the respondents to specify whether or not the high rise buildings fulfilled the criteria set in the Fire Prevention and Extinction Act 2003.
A bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir also directed the Fire Service and Civil Defence director general to submit a separate report within one month on Fire Service’s manpower and equipment in the capital. 
The court issued the directive after hearing a public interest litigation writ petition.
Gulshan resident and Supreme Court lawyer Sarwat Siraj Sukla preferred the writ petition in the backdrop of the devastating fire at the 23- storied FR Tower that killed 26 people including a Sri Lankan and left at least 100 others injured on March 28.
The bench in a ruling also asked the secretaries of the ministries of disaster management and relief, housing and public works, home and education, as well as the Rajuk, the Fire Service, the two mayors and BUET- JAPAN Institute of Disaster Prevention and Urban Safety to explain in two weeks why the families of the victims of fire at FR Tower and at Chawkbazar would not be paid financial compensation on the basis of independent inquiry report. 
The bench in ruling asked the respondents to explain in two weeks why they would not be directed to take necessary measures to protect the capital’s residents from fire that gets devastating in buildings constructed flouting the Bangladesh National Building Code 2006 and Fire Prevention and Extinction Act 2003 and the rules framed under the two acts. 
In the ruling the court also directed the respondents to explain why they would not be asked to equip the capital’s Fire Service and Civil Defence with modern equipment, attires, vehicles and other resources.
The bench asked the respondents to explain why the education secretary would not be directed to include awareness and training on fire prevention in the national curriculum.
Rajuk and fire service and civil defence were directed to explain why they would not be asked to allot a place at Gulshan for establishing a fire station.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net