Bangladesh, Sept. 27 -- Its deeply concerning that Bangladesh continues to show a lack of urgency when it comes to implementing basic fire safety measures. The country remains far behind global standards, where essential fire safety precautions are standard practice in many other nations.

Most fires are preventable or can be quickly contained with the right fire-prevention measures in place. However, in Bangladesh, it often feels like life is given less priority than the additional costs of implementing these safety measures — at least, thats how it seems from the outside.

Ive been in countless office and high-rise apartment buildings in Dhaka where there isnt a single fire extinguisher, water hose, or even a smoke detector —...