Nearly 75% CEPZ factories have no fire safety certificate

Nearly three-fourths of all factories in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) are operating without the mandatory fire safety effectiveness certificate, found a recent investigation by the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Every factory is required to obtain approval for a fire safety plan when it is set up and then receive an effectiveness certificate after an inspection confirms that the firefighting system is operational.

Only 55 out of 164 factories in CEPZ currently hold a valid certificate, according to the report submitted last week following a massive fire that gutted two factories inside the zone.

The lack of valid certificates not only violates the Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Act, 2003 but also poses significant risks to workers and foreign investors alike, safety experts said.

"In case of an emergency, that could have disastrous consequences," said Abdul Mannan, deputy director of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Chattogram.

Implementing fire safety plans in older buildings -- especially those constructed before 2008 -- is challenging because most were built without adhering to the fire safety code, he said, adding that the burnt-down building in CEPZ was one such old structure.

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The two factories did have valid certificates until June this year, CEPZ Executive Director Md Abdus Sobhan told The Daily Star.

They had already applied for renewal, which was in process at the time of the incident.

The CEPZ authorities have also formed a separate investigation committee to look into the cause of the blaze. The committee's report is now in the final stage, Sobhan said.

Asked about the latest report, he said: "We have not been officially informed about how many factories lack valid effectiveness certificates. If they provide us with the list, both authorities can work together to take corrective action."

Fire Service officials, meanwhile, said their probe committee has already updated fire safety data for all industrial establishments in Chattogram and will recommend stronger enforcement measures, especially for factories operating in export zones and industrial parks.

Several other structures inside the export processing zone were constructed without maintaining the required spacing between buildings, in violation of fire safety standards, they said.