Dhaka South renews licence of chemical warehouse decade after Nimtoli tragedy

The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has renewed the trade licence of a chemical warehouse after it relocated to Shyampur, 13 years after the Nimtoli fire tragedy in Old Dhaka.

The city corporation approved the renewal of the trade permit for the chemical company Messer's Royal Ton Lacquer Coating on 28 February after its relocation to the warehouse constructed for the temporary storage of chemical products at Shyampur.

Dhaka South had stopped issuing new business permits to chemical warehouses and companies located in Old Dhaka in 2013 after the Nimtoli fire, and the Churihatta fire in 2019.

On 4 June last year, authorities took the initiative to transfer hazardous chemical warehouses on a temporary basis in Shyampur. The then Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun and Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas inaugurated the project. 

Dhaka South Chief Executive Officer Mizanur Rahman expressed gratitude to relevant institutions for relocating to Shyampur. 

He expressed hopes that other chemical warehouses and business establishments would also relocate to Shyampur, enhancing the overall safety of the environment in Old Dhaka.

Stating that action will be taken against those who will not relocate, Mizanur Rahman said, "Chemical warehouses constructed on a temporary basis in Shyampur are equipped with modern fire-fighting systems. Moreover, the risk level is significantly low due to the open environment."

He also said the project, implemented by the Ministry of Industry for the permanent relocation of these chemical warehouses and institutions on 310 acres of land in Munshiganj, is nearing completion.

"If these chemical warehouses and establishments, posing a significant threat to public safety, do not undergo relocation, we will launch a drive against them," he added.

A devastating fire originated from a chemical warehouse in Old Dhaka claimed the lives of 124 people dead in Nimtoli of Old Dhaka in 2010. On the other hand, the Churihatta blaze in Old Dhaka's Chawkbazar killed 71 people in 2019.

Following the incidents, based on directives from the Cabinet, three teams were formed, that included representatives from the Dhaka South City Corporation, Directorate of Fire Service and Civil Defense, and Directorate of Explosives. The teams investigated warehouses and establishments of explosives, national plastic, and chemical businesses in Old Dhaka (Zone 3, 4, and 5) and prepared a comprehensive list. The list, sent to the Cabinet in April 2021, provided detailed information on 1,924 chemical warehouses in Old Dhaka, categorising them by risk level and listing the names of stored chemicals.