No compensation, no relocation of dangerous chemical warehouses

After two years of the Chawkbazar fire tragedy the government has failed to relocate chemical warehouses from Churihatta and ensure security of the residents of the area.
At least 70 people were burned to death in the tragedy, among them only 27 families received financial assistance from the government.
Meanwhile, the burnt out house Wahid Mansion where the fire originated has been renovated by its owner without government permission.
According to the Fire Services officials there are more than 25,000 chemical warehouses in Old Dhaka, of which around 15,000 are in residential buildings.
After the 126 death and 100 injured at Neemtoli fire tragedy in 2010 government has pledge to relocate chemical warehouse to Keraniganj from Old Dhaka. But the government has not taken any steps to relocate the chemical warehouses from the Old Dhaka.
After the repetition of the fire tragedy the government has again taken initiative to relocate chemical warehouses within six months and
allotted land for building temporary chemical depot at Shyampur Kadamtoli and Munshiganj.
According to the government project, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) will implement the temporary chemical warehouse relocation project at a cost of Tk 794.2 million by June 2020.
Under the project, 54 warehouses, two three-storey offices, one office building for BCIC, mosque, overhead water tank with the capacity of 100,000 gallons and one underground water tank with the same capacity will be constructed. But in the two years since the Churihatta fire tragedy the construction of these chemical warehouses has not been completed.
Md Ashiq Uddin, general secretary of the "Churihatta Fire Tragedy Dead and Injured Family Organization," told the Daily Observer that there are still many chemical warehouses in the area. Chemicals are transported and stored there at night." Our investigation found that although the government has assisted only 27 families out of the 70 people who died in the tragedy. It has given job to 21 survivors in DSCC, 4 have been given monetary assistance of Tk 2 lakh each and 2 have been allotted shops in the Palashi City Corporation market.
However, our correspondent could not locate the shops, instead found a CNG station on the spot of the Palashi Bazar. Although 4 more victims family member were assured of jobs in the DSCC, they have not been given any job yet.
All those who have received assistance from the government are local residents of Churihatra. None of those who came from other parts of the country to work here received any support from the government.
Sajin Ahmed Babu, brother of Omar Farique, who was killed in the blaze, said he received Tk 20,000 for burial expenses of his dead brother. They did not get any other assistance from the government, Babu added.
Md Shahabuddin Ahamed Assistant Private Secretary to the Labour Minister said, "Money has been allocated for all those who have died in this deadly fire accident. So far, we have only provided monetary assistance to those who have applied to us."
After the Churihatta fire, Dhaka City Corporation and RAJUK identified Wahid Mansion as a risky building.
But on a visit to Churihatta area this correspondent saw renovation work was going on in the Wahid Mansion by hanging a signboard of DSCC.
RAJUK and Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence authority however said no one sought any permission from them to renovate the building.