Desher Kaj
A fire safety check at a market
With the market committee, walking the rows of shops: is there an extinguisher and is it in date, are the ways out clear, is there water and a bucket; then the list goes to the committee, with a request to the fire service for a drill.
Area
Bogura
People
4 people
Time
About 6 hours
Difficulty
Medium
About this task
In the busy markets of Bogura, a big trading centre of the north, many shops stand wall to wall. Walking the rows of shops with someone from the market committee, one checklist line per shop: is there an extinguisher, is its needle in the green, the refill date, goods in the walkway, hanging wires, a bucket of water or sand. The summary goes to the committee; a request for awareness and a drill goes to the nearest fire station; boards with 16163 and 999 go up at the entrances.
Why it matters
In crowded markets the shops touch, the lanes are narrow and the goods burn easily, so a fire spreads fast. In April 2023 a fire at Dhaka’s Bangabazar destroyed thousands of shops. If the extinguishers work and the ways out are clear, the first few minutes save a great deal.
What changes after
Checklists for at least fifty shops; a list of what to fix in the committee’s hands; a drill requested from the fire station; emergency numbers at the entrances.
Who can join
Anyone; best with someone trained by the fire service, or a shopkeeper from the market.
Step by step
- 1Done
The market committee’s consent60 min
Sit with the committee’s president or secretary to fix the day; someone from the committee walks with you.
- 2Done
Row by row180 min
One line per shop: extinguisher or not, needle in the green (where there is a gauge), refill date, goods in the way, hanging wires (only noted), a bucket of water or sand.
- 3Done
The list and a request120 min
Summary to the committee with a received copy; a letter to the nearest fire station asking for awareness and a drill; boards with 16163 and 999 at the entrances.
Checklist to get ready
- Printed checklists · ১০০ পাতা
- Emergency number boards · ৪টি
When it counts as done
- Checklists filled for at least fifty shops
- The committee’s received copy, and a copy of the letter to the fire station
- Photos of the number boards at the entrances
Proof required: Photo, Document
⚠ Safety
Do not touch wiring, meters or gas cylinders; just note them. Do not discharge an extinguisher to test it. Never name a shop publicly.
What it costs
| Printing (leaflets, checklists or instruction sheets) | 100 checklist pages | ৳2–5 |
| Emergency number boards (flex or tin) | 4 | ৳200–450 |
| Clipboards and pens | 4 | ৳60–120 |
| Total (about) | ৳1,200–3,000 | |
Getting ready, step by step
10 days before
Sit with the market committee; fix the day and who walks with you.
Finalise the checklist: extinguisher, gauge, refill date, walkway, wires, water or sand bucket.
3 days before
Tell the shopkeepers why you are coming: for safety, not to find fault.
On the day
Row by row, one line per shop.
Number boards at the entrances.
The week after
The summary to the committee with a received copy; the letter to the fire station.
Who does what
- Lead (1): Speaks with the committee, writes the summary, takes the letter to the fire station. — ____________
- Checklist pairs (2): One looks, one writes; nobody touches anything. — ____________
- Photos and records (1): Photos with consent, lists, receipts, handing in the proof. — ____________
The day, hour by hour
- 08:00Meet the committee member, split the checklists.
- 08:30Start row by row.
- 10:30Break; see which rows remain.
- 11:00Remaining rows; number boards at the entrances.
- 12:30A first word with the committee, done.
What can go wrong, and what to do
- A shopkeeper angry or uneasy → The committee member speaks; skip any shop that declines.
- Dangerous wiring or a smell of gas → Touch nothing; tell the committee at once; with a gas smell, no flame or switch: clear the area and call 16163 or 999.
Useful numbers
- 16163Fire Service and Civil Defence
- 999National emergency: police, fire, ambulance (free)
Questions people ask
- How do we tell if an extinguisher is in date?
- The extinguisher carries a label with its refill or test date; if it has a gauge, the needle should be in the green. If in doubt, just note it; the supplier or the fire service will check.
- What comes first in a fire?
- Shout to warn everyone, get out, call 999 or 16163. No water on an electrical fire; switch off the main if you can.
- Can I join if I cannot stay the whole time?
- Yes. Say in your request which step or which hours you can do. The lead will give that step to you.