Management Perspective of Fire Hazard Vulnerability of Shopping Centers in Bangladesh: A Case Study of Savar Municipality

Abstract

Fire hazards have become a major concern in rapidly urbanizing areas of Bangladesh, particularly in commercial buildings where large numbers of people gather. Shopping centers are especially vulnerable due to high occupancy, complex building layouts, and the presence of combustible materials. Despite several major fire incidents in the country, many shopping centers still lack adequate fire safety measures. This study aims to assess the fire hazard vulnerability and fire safety level of shopping centers in Savar Municipality. The study covers 29 shopping centers officially listed by the Savar municipality. Both primary and secondary data were used for the analysis. Primary data were collected through field surveys, office interviews with shop owners’ associations, and expert opinion surveys, while secondary data were obtained from previous studies and reports. Fire hazard vulnerability was assessed using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision-making method that determines the relative importance of different vulnerability factors. Thirteen indicators were considered, including number of stories, floor area, accessibility, open space between buildings, fire sources, staircase width, firefighting tools, emergency exits, and fire drills. In addition, the fire safety level of shopping centers was evaluated using a checklist method based on nineteen fire safety indicators. A Fire Safety Rating (FSR) score was calculated for each shopping center to determine its safety level. The findings show that about 34.48% of the shopping centers fall under the high vulnerability category, while 41.38% are moderately vulnerable. Furthermore, 58.62% of the shopping centers have poor fire safety conditions. The study highlights the need for strict enforcement of building codes, improved firefighting facilities, and regular fire safety management practices to reduce fire risk and ensure safer commercial environments.