On a calm evening in Dhaka, a family sits down to dinner in their high-rise apartment. The city hums outside, neon lights flicker, and life goes on as usual. Yet behind this everyday scene is a question that matters more than we often admit: how safe is the building we live in?
Dhaka’s skyline has grown quickly. The city that once spread low across the ground now reaches high into the sky. Apartment towers and commercial complexes are everywhere. With this growth comes pride, but also danger. Fires in tall buildings have become too common, and each incident reminds us that safety is not just an option; it is a necessity.
Between 2020 and 2023, Dhaka saw 548 fires in high-rise buildings. These incidents left 78 people injured and 16 dead. Across Bangladesh, fire service records show over 24,000 fire incidents in 2022 alone. In Dhaka, fires kill around 180 people each year.
Behind these numbers are stories of heartbreak. The FR Tower fire in Banani (2019) killed at least 26 people. Smoke-filled stairwells, exits were blocked, and rescuers had to use helicopters. In 2023, another fire in a Gulshan high-rise caused chaos on the streets as firefighters fought through crowds and traffic to reach the building. Each tragedy exposes the same truth: too many of our towers are not ready for fire emergencies.
Most fires in Dhaka’s urban buildings start from simple causes. Electrical short-circuits are the biggest culprit. In fact, almost 40% of fires in the country are linked to faulty wiring or overloaded circuits. Old systems, cheap materials, and poor maintenance make this worse.
Kitchens are another source. Nearly one in five fires begins with cooking accidents, a gas leak, a stove left unattended, or a pot of oil that catches flame. In a crowded apartment block, what starts in one kitchen can threaten dozens of homes within minutes.
Careless smoking, unattended candles, and mismanaged chemicals add to the list. Many commercial spaces that share buildings with residences store flammable items without proper safety measures. Fires that could have been prevented often become disasters because of negligence.
Fire in a high-rise is not like fire in a small house. The risks multiply with every floor.
A small spark in such a building is enough to put an entire community at risk.
Fire safety systems are not just about putting out flames. They are about preventing panic, saving time, and protecting lives.
These systems are not luxuries. They are essentials. In cities like Dhaka, where help can take time to arrive, they are the first line of defense.
Bangladesh has strong fire safety rules on paper. The Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC 2020) requires alarms, sprinklers, exits, and fire-resistant construction. The Fire Prevention Act (2003, updated 2014) demands clearance from the Fire Service before a building opens.
But the gap between law and reality is wide. Out of over 6,000 high-rise projects approved between 2020 and 2023, less than 8% completed final fire safety certification. Many buildings simply skipped the last step. Others installed systems that were never maintained.
Experts say the main reasons are weak enforcement, cost-cutting by developers, and a lack of accountability. When profits are prioritized over people, safety is compromised.
Even when systems are in place, people often do not know how to use them. Fire drills are rare in Dhaka. Many residents have never practiced evacuation. Few know how to operate an extinguisher.
This lack of awareness can be deadly. In an emergency, panic spreads faster than fire. Families may waste time looking for keys or personal belongings. Crowds can block exits. Smoke can overwhelm anyone who doesn’t know the escape route.
Authorities are trying to change this. City corporations have talked about training programs for residents. Safety associations like ESSAB suggest adding fire safety lessons in schools. Public awareness is just as important as equipment. Safety is not just about buildings, it is about people knowing how to act when it matters.
In this difficult landscape, Concord Real Estate has taken a different path. Safety is not an afterthought for Concord. It is part of the company’s culture.
From as early as the 1980s, Concord replaced flammable ceilings with fire-resistant gypsum boards, long before rules made it mandatory. The company also moved to safer construction materials and methods, setting higher standards across the industry.
In every project, Concord installs modern fire detection and suppression systems. Alarms, sprinklers, hydrants, and exits are included by design, not as extras. Maintenance and monitoring are part of the promise made to residents.
This commitment was recognized in 2022, when Concord received the ESSAB Safety Excellence Award in the premises category for its project “Sikander Heritage.” The award, given by the Electronics Safety and Security Association of Bangladesh (ESSAB), celebrates organizations that apply innovative firefighting technology and set examples for the industry.
For Concord, the award is more than recognition. It is proof of a philosophy: to build not just apartments, but safe communities. Families living in Concord projects can feel secure knowing their homes are designed with their safety in mind.
When people look for a home in Dhaka, they often focus on location, price, and design. Yet nothing matters more than safety. A beautiful apartment loses its value if it cannot protect its residents in an emergency.
Concord’s award shows that safety and modern living can go together. Buyers should see this as reassurance: choosing a Concord home means choosing peace of mind. It is a reminder that safety is not just about equipment, but about trust.
Dhaka is growing taller every year. The risks grow with it. Fires will always be a threat, but tragedies do not have to be inevitable. With proper systems, strict enforcement, and better public awareness, the city’s high-rises can be places of security, not fear.
Concord’s example proves that developers can lead the way. By investing in safety, they invest in people. By earning trust, they also strengthen their reputation. The ESSAB award shows what is possible when a company puts lives before shortcuts.
For residents, the message is clear: demand safety, look for certifications, and ask questions about fire systems before choosing a home. For the city, the path forward is also clear: make safety a culture, not just a code.
In the end, fire safety is not about statistics or laws. It is about families sitting down to dinner in their high-rise apartments, confident that they are protected. That is the true meaning of building homes in a city like Dhaka.
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