Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Abul Bashar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman has called an urgent meeting with the stakeholders of Sitakunda's factories to formulate a master plan to reduce accidents in heavy and medium industrial areas in 15 upazilas of Chattogram.
He said that all industries in Chattogram should be managed within the rules. Hon'ble Prime Minister's vision is to build a developed and prosperous Bangladesh, making it Smart Bangladesh by 2041. That is why economic development is important. Workers are the key pillar of economic development. Therefore, the safety of workers, the safety of entrepreneurs' capital should be given importance.
In this meeting organized at Chattogram Circuit House on Monday afternoon, fire service, district police, call factory authorities and owners, health administration, Workers' organizations, upazila district officials, land officials, district magistrates and related government office officials were present.
Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Abul Bashar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman presided over it.
He said that there was an explosion at Seema Oxygen Plant in Sitakunda on March 4. Eight months before this, a major fire incident occurred at the BM Container Depot in Sitakunda. Accidents happen every year in Sitakunda. Most of which are man-made. Rarely naturalistic. There are fires, explosions. We want to adopt a master plan to prevent these accidents. Among these, how do we reduce accidents, be it man-made or natural, how to prevent pollution of the environment, how to protect canals and rivers from pollution, how to manage underground water, how to prevent topsoil and hill cutting of agricultural land, how can we ensure the safety of the workers and the safety of the capital of the owners and how can we implement a master plan in the Sitakunda area.
He said that within two months of taking charge as the Deputy Commissioner, 9 mobile courts have been fined more than Tk 35 lakh for conducting fire fighting only. Imprisonment of up to one year is given. So that there is no fire incident in Chattogram. But the sad thing is that there was no fire safety plan in the institutions where the district administration's executive magistrate, fire service and police team conducted the operation.
Apart from this, factories have also been established in Karnaphuli, Anwara, Mirshrai, Hathazari areas. We have to adopt a plan for that area as well.
