By Dr. Easir A. Khan
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, BUET

The tragic Baily Road Green Cozy Cotez Restaurant fire, which claimed forty-six lives in February 2024, is not merely an isolated accident—it is a devastating reminder of the systemic weaknesses that continue to endanger lives in Bangladesh’s urban centers. Beneath the smoke and debris lies a chain of preventable failures: lax enforcement of building codes, unsafe modifications, improper gas handling, and a chronic neglect of fire safety planning.

In my recent investigation, published in the Journal of Chemical Engineering (Vol. ChE 32, No. 1, April 2024), I examined the technical and organizational factors that fueled this catastrophe. The fire originated at a ground-floor coffee shop and spread with astonishing speed through a single unprotected stairway, engulfing the entire seven-story building within minutes. The absence of a fire alarm system, improper use of LPG cylinders, sealed escape routes, and inadequate emergency response turned what could have been a manageable incident into a national tragedy.

A Mirror of Our Urban Reality

The Cozy Cotez fire is not an anomaly—it is a reflection of Dhaka’s precarious relationship with fire risk. Over the years, we have seen the same scenes repeat: the Chawkbazar explosion, the Nimtoli blaze, the Narayanganj factory inferno. Each time, investigations identify immediate causes—an electrical short, a gas leak, a blocked exit—but the root causes remain unaddressed. Weak regulation, fragmented responsibilities, and commercial negligence ensure that history continues to repeat itself.

The investigation revealed several alarming findings. LPG cylinders were stored inside staircases, flexible plastic tubes replaced standard metal pipelines, and fire separations were demolished during interior decoration. Regulatory agencies approved occupancy licenses despite these clear violations of the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC). Most employees had never received basic fire safety training or evacuation drills. The combination of poor design and human unpreparedness created a deadly trap.

Building a Culture of Fire Safety

To prevent such tragedies, Bangladesh must move beyond reactive responses toward a culture of proactive fire safety management. This requires both structural reforms and behavioral change across all stakeholders.

1. Enforce building codes and design accountability.
Strict application of the BNBC 2020 and related fire codes must be mandatory, particularly for high-occupancy or mixed-use buildings. Approvals and renewals should be conditional upon verified safety audits.

2. Ensure proper fire protection and evacuation systems.
Every commercial establishment should have functional fire alarms, extinguishers, smoke detectors, and clearly marked emergency exits. Fire safety plans should be reviewed annually.

3. Regulate LPG use and installation.
LPG systems must follow approved standards—metal pipelines, ventilated storage, and certified installers. Storing cylinders in confined or escape areas should be legally prohibited.

4. Strengthen institutional coordination.
Fire Service and Civil Defense, RAJUK, city corporations, and the Department of Explosives must operate under a unified compliance and monitoring framework, not as disconnected entities.

5. Educate, aware and train.
Business owners, employees, and the general public must receive practical training on evacuation, extinguisher use, and early response. Safety culture begins with awareness.

Turning Tragedy into Reform

Every fire in Dhaka is a painful reminder that safety cannot be postponed. The Cozy Cotez incident demonstrates that engineering integrity, professional responsibility, and policy enforcement must converge to protect human life. Establishing a National Accident Investigation Board and a Bangladesh Building Regulatory Authority could institutionalize accountability, ensuring that lessons learned translate into lasting reforms.

Fires are not acts of fate—they are the outcomes of inaction. Each uninspected building, each overlooked safety audit, and each untrained worker brings us closer to the next disaster. The question is not whether another tragedy will happen—it is whether we will act before it does.

Through science-based investigation, enforcement of standards, and shared accountability, Dhaka can transform its vulnerability into resilience. The Green Cozy Cotez fire must not fade into another headline; it should ignite a nationwide movement for safer cities and responsible engineering.