Bailey Road Fire: PM deplores absence of fire exit

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday bemoaned that there was no fire exit in the multi-storey building that caught fire on Bailey Road leaving dozens dead.

She urged all to follow the rules and regulations while constructing any buildings.

“We always request our architects, at least when they design houses or buildings, keep a small open balcony, a fire exit or a ventilation. But the architects don’t design properly, and the owners don’t want to leave an inch of space,” she said while addressing a programme marking “National Insurance Day-2024” at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.

The event was jointly organised by the ministry of finance and the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority aiming to promote the idea of insurance by enhancing public awareness.

Hasina said 46 people died in the Bailey Road fire. “What could be more painful than this?”

The government repeatedly instructed to install fire extinguishers and ensure other fire safety measures at all buildings, but those are hardly followed, she said.

“And I know there was no insurance, so they [victims in the fire incident) won’t get anything [as compensation]. Awareness is very much needed in this regard,” she said.

The PM asked all concerned to take prompt measures to settle insurance claims at the quickest possible time to encourage people to come under insurance coverage.

She, however, asked the authorities concerned to be watchful about false insurance claims, referring to some RMG factories’ acts of causing fire deliberately time and again for claiming insurance money.