Moving the chemical factories and warehouses out of Dhaka was one of the 17 recommendations by the home ministry committee formed after the Nimtoli tragedy. However, chemical warehouses remain in operation in the old town, illegally storing highly combustible chemical compounds and so putting people's lives at risk. The Chemical Industrial Park, an area given over to space for all chemical warehouses and factories, will come into operation from 2022, said project officials. According to an estimate by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (Bapa), there are about 25,000 warehouses of chemical products in nearly 15,000 residential buildings in Old Dhaka, although the city corporation had issued licences for only 2,500. Plan at a glanceThe Chemical Park will house an eight-story building, chemical research centre, police station, fire brigade office, mosque, medical centre, association or corporate office and other essential facilities.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 19, 2020 18:00 UTC