Decade of Neglect in Chemical Warehouse Relocation
Despite repeated disasters and government pledges, chemical warehouses remain in Dhaka's residential areas over a decade after relocation projects began. Weak enforcement, bureaucratic delays, and lack of accountability have allowed hazardous businesses to continue operating, endangering millions. Authorities must act urgently to complete relocation and enforce safety regulations.
The article highlights the ongoing failure to relocate chemical warehouses from residential neighborhoods in Dhaka, even ten years after the government initiated relocation projects following deadly fires in Nimtali, Chawkbazar, and Rupnagar. Despite repeated tragedies, hazardous businesses continue to operate in densely populated areas, often illegally and without proper licences. The BSCIC Chemical Industrial Park in Munshiganj, meant to resolve the issue, has missed multiple deadlines and now seeks an extension until 2027. Authorities admit thousands of chemical businesses operate without licences, exploiting regulatory loopholes. City officials have suspended issuing trade licences for chemical businesses in residential areas, but weak enforcement and overlapping jurisdictions persist. Urban planners and fire safety experts warn that allowing such businesses to coexist with homes, schools, and hospitals is institutional recklessness. Each fire brings public outrage and promises of reform, but these are quickly forgotten. The relocation of plastic factories is similarly delayed by bureaucracy, land disputes, and funding issues. The article calls for urgent action to complete relocation projects and enforce safety regulations, emphasizing that financial and logistical challenges cannot justify endangering millions of residents.
