At least 131 workers have died and 578 others have been injured in workplace fire incidents across Bangladesh over the past seven and a half years, according to a new survey by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS).
The BILS Workplace Situation Report, based on newspaper monitoring, shows that the first half of 2025 alone saw a worrying rise in industrial fire incidents, continuing a trend of recurring workplace tragedies across ready-made garment (RMG) factories and other manufacturing sectors.
Between 2018 and June 2025, BILS recorded 152 workplace fire incidents resulting in 131 deaths and 578 injuries. The deadliest year was 2019, with 75 deaths and 84 injured workers, followed by 2020, which saw 59 injuries from 18 incidents.
Although the number of incidents dropped slightly after the pandemic years, 2023 and 2024 still recorded significant numbers of casualties.
The survey highlights the RMG sector and related manufacturing industries as hotspots for industrial fires and explosions. From 2018 to June 2025, at least 11 fire incidents occurred in the RMG sector, killing one worker and injuring 51 others. In contrast, 141 incidents were reported in other manufacturing industries, causing far greater damage.
Safety advocates say these figures underscore the persistent safety lapses in factory management and enforcement of building codes, despite earlier commitments following major industrial disasters such as Rana Plaza and Tazreen Fashions.
The BILS report also notes multiple chemical explosions in recent years, particularly in Dhaka’s old industrial zones and Gazipur, although detailed casualty figures were not immediately available.
Labour rights groups have renewed calls for the government and employers’ associations to strengthen workplace inspections, ensure fire safety training, and enforce accountability for negligent owners.
