A group of 28 eminent citizens issued a joint statement today, demanding a fair investigation into the recent fire incidents that occurred at Bangabazar and New Super Market in the capital.
They stressed that such incidents could be prevented with the goodwill of the government and called upon government agencies concerned and city corporations to play a responsible role in this regard.
The statement also urged the government to increase citizen awareness, ensure accountability, and improve the capacity of the relevant agencies to prevent such accidents.
Expressing their doubts about whether the incidents were accidents or arson, they called for a fair and impartial investigation to uncover the causes.
They said if there was negligence on the part of any party, it should be brought to light through investigation.
"From our past experiences, we have seen that inquiry committees had been formed but the recommendations of the committees were not implemented," the statement read.
They attributed this to the lack of accountability of the relevant institutions and agencies, including Rajuk and the Department of Explosives.
Major fire accidents occur due to the lack of coordination between the city corporation and the fire service, read the statements.
"We believe that proper coordination could have prevented the severity of the fire and the extent of the damages," it stated.
To prevent such accidents in the future, the eminent citizens came up with eight recommendations, including forming a high-power probe commission and taking strict actions against those involved in such incidents.
The signatories to the statement include rights activist Sultana Kamal, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder, former Jahangirnagar University Prof Anu Muhammad, coordinator of Nijera Kori Khushi Kabir, and rights activist Hameeda Hossain, Supreme Court's senior lawyer Subrata Chowdhury, ASK Chairperson ZI Khan Panna, and Supreme Court's senior lawyer Tobarak Hossain.
