Fire incidents have become fairly common across the country nowadays. Despite frequent casualties and massive damage from fire accidents, mainly in major cities and industrial belts, the authorities concerned seemingly pay little heed to the problem though they are sometimes seen to become active only after a massive inferno.
The latest fire incident, however, took place on Friday in a seven-storey residential building in Uttara, in which at least six people were killed and a number of others injured. The cause of the fire was attributed to a gas leak or an electrical short circuit, both are very common causes of fire incidents across the country.
Suffice it to say, several hundred people die from fire incidents every year in our country. Although last year's death figures are not yet available, there were several major incidents throughout 2025. Towards the end of the year, in October 2025, a fire broke out at a garment factory and chemical warehouse in Mirpur, leaving at least 16 people dead.
Additionally, in January that year, a major blaze in Teknaf claimed one life and destroyed 300 houses. Soon after, there were a number of fire incidents in February in Chattogram, Dhaka, and Rangamati, in which several people died. Afterwards, scores of small and large fire incidents occurred across the country throughout 2025.
In 2024, at least 142 people lost their lives, including two firefighters, and over 341 sustained burn injuries in 26,659 fire incidents. This death toll was slightly lower than that of the previous year, when over 250 deaths were reported.
There are, however, many reasons behind the frequent fire incidents in the country. Electrical short circuits have been identified as the leading cause, accounting for 33.98 per cent of total fires last year. This is largely due to unplanned construction work, mostly in the real estate and housing sectors, carried out without adhering to fire safety regulations.
Additionally, burnt bidi and cigarette butts caused the second-highest number of fire incidents, accounting for 15.52 per cent in 2024, followed by fires originating from stoves at 11.46 per cent. Gas-related issues, acts of arson, children playing with fire, burnt ashes and fireworks were among other causes.
Fires not only cause loss of life but also result in huge damage to property and contribute to air pollution. In 2024, properties worth an estimated Tk 446.27 crore were gutted in fire incidents across the country. However, the Fire Service managed to save property worth over Tk 1,974 crore through prompt responses.
Another important factor is that fire safety rules and regulations are not properly enforced and are frequently violated. Government agencies are often seen to be reluctant to enforce safety regulations. What is evident is that even when violations are detected, authorities usually issue notices but fail to take legal action in many cases.
We urge the government to ensure the enforcement of fire safety rules in order to forestall the recurrence of fire incidents in the country.
