letters@thedailystar.net

Preventing another Chawkbazar tragedy The crackdown against illegal chemical and plastic factories and warehouses has finally begun, which is a laudable move by the government. Comprising the taskforce are 14 government agencies which initiated the drive by cutting the utility lines of illegal factories and warehouses.

But these kinds of taskforces after any incident in the country have proved to wield limited influence. They begin by taking action with the speed of light but eventually falter, as we saw earlier during the Nimtoli incident back in 2010. We, the general people, are also to blame for these kinds of tragic incidents as we seem to forget about them in just a matter of days.

To completely prevent these tragedies from happening, the government agencies must take unified action on many fronts—cutting the utility lines only won't result in any significant change. Strong action like forcing these warehouses and factories out of the residential zone and sealing those which do not have environmental clearances should be taken. Greedy building owners who rent out space to these warehouses/factories for profit should also be penalised. And last but not least, awareness about these issues should be raised through sustained campaigns and media channels. Ullash Sen, by email