Sir Frank Peters

Why is fire so distant from the minds of most Bengalis until it’s too late to prevent?

I am appalled, dismayed, flabbergasted, outraged and disappointed, at the indifference of seemingly the majority of Bengalis and the extremely low price tag they place on their lives, especially upon the lives of their children and aged parents. Unbelievable!

This is a wake-up call!

Astonishingly, some Bengalis inadvertently value their own life and that of their entire family under two hundred taka... yes, 200-taka!

It’s one thing to under values one’s own life, but nobody has the right to diminish the worth of another human life, especially the lives of Allah’s children.

Allah’s children? – Yes! In my opinion, parents don’t ‘own’ children. They’re merely lifetime custodians, as one might become a foster parent to a pup or kitten. As custodians, however, they’re expected to protect the valuable asset entrusted into their care, as an art gallery would protect a masterpiece painting or a priceless artifact.

There have been a frightening number of fires in Bangladesh buildings in recent times that have shocked the nation, and brought it to its knees in solemn prayer. Tragically many human lives were lost. Regrettably it’s not the last of those we will see or hear about.

Fire, seemingly, is furthermost distance from the minds of most Bengalis, yet the possibility of a fire disaster is as ever present as is the weather and can occur in a split second.

Fire is a constant threat to life, but most people view fire like lightening cascading in a distance against a dark sky – it only happens elsewhere... it’s something you read about, or see on the evening news.

Fire is versatile, very talented, and attention demanding. It can put on its colourful light show and dancing act anywhere, with or without an audience. It has its own built-in spotlight and night vision abilities that enables it to see in the dark.

The outbreak of fire may not be attributed to a human in the ‘now’, but to one who failed to take necessary precautions in the past. It may not be one particular person’s fault, but a culmination of events... it may even be a totally unpredictable once-in-a-lifetime freak occurrence, or the stupid action of a neighbour. Fire is fire, however, with a merciless insatiable appetite that demands respect, attention and prevention.

The phrase 'prevention is better than cure' was coined by philosopher Desiderius Erasmus around 1500. While it was originally attributed to the fundamental principle of modern health care, it also gracefully lends itself to fire prevention.

PREVENTION IS ALWAYS BEST

Major hotels in Bangladesh have excellent fire prevention facilities in place – on par with the rest of the world – but the same cannot be said for offices and residential high buildings. The attitude to be found is appalling. The possibility of fire, seemingly, is not given a second thought... until it’s much too late and spoken about with remorse and regret at bedside vigils and tribunals that ultimately follow.
There are people living in high-rise apartments in Bangladesh who gamble with their lives (and the lives of their families) each and every day. There are no fire-fighting facilities like fire hoses, fire extinguishers, or even buckets of sand on each floor. Even more appalling is that the door to the rooftop – perhaps the only alternative escape route – is padlocked with the key held by the doorman on the ground floor! How preposterous, moronic, and imbecilic is that?

If there is a sound reason for locking the rooftop door (and I can’t think of one), EVERY apartment MUST have a key to the padlock. And this key must be kept in full sight within the apartment, perhaps on the back of the front door, for all in the apartment to see and use in an emergency.

Those who are not supplied a key by the landlord should have one independently made. Unless, of course, they’re members of the Silly People Club who think their life isn’t worth the 200-taka cost!

It’s imperative EVERY house and apartment has a fire escape plan that’s known to EVERY member of the family.

As Dhaka is becoming more chock-a-block and strangled with high-rise office and residential buildings, it ought to consider installing a drawbridge like escape device that’s lowered onto the neighbouring building in the event of a fire, as an alternative route of escape. In the original design of Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, for instance, there wasn’t a bridge linking one tower to the other, but after the contractors saw New York’s horrific Twin Towers inferno, they added one.

­In November 2021

a commendable month-long fire safety awareness campaign was launched in Bangladesh during the National Fire Service and Civil Defense Week. It highlighted various life-saving messages on prevention and protection against fire. Visual messages on dos and don’ts during a fire; fire prevention measures, good electrical practices, safe chemical management and emergency preparedness. Bangladesh needs a continuous flow of these for the safety of one, for the safety of all.

You owe it to yourself, your loved ones, and family guests to plan ahead a fire escape plan and then pray to Allah that you will never have to use it!

Finally, in a high-rise residential building or office block, how can you tell if your neighbour is a moron, an idiot, or a fool? Answer: He or she is the one who doesn’t have or know the location of the key to the rooftop door.

The writer is a former newspaper and magazine publisher and editor, an award-winning writer, humanitarian, human rights activist, Honorary Member of the Bangladesh Freedom Fighters, and a foreign friend of Bangladesh