DHAKA : Firefighters continue rescue operation at the burnt food factory in Narayanganj’s Rupganj. A devastating fire at the building left at least 51 people dead on Thursday. The fire was completely doused yesterday and no new bodies were found. Photo: Anisur Rahman
The fire that killed 51 employees of a food factory in Narayanganj was not a bolt from the blue for the owners who, according to police, knew such a disaster was imminent but chose to do nothing.
Police arrested the owners of Hashem Foods Ltd, Md Abul Hashem, his four sons, and three others, and accused them of burning 51 employees to death.
“They knew that the building, full of combustible chemicals, might catch fire anytime, but did nothing… We accused them of killing the workers,” Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dhaka Range) Habibur Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday.
“There were inadequate fire exits and no fire safety equipment. The fire was a mere accident,” he said.
Inspector Nazim Uddin Majumder of Bhulta Police Outpost filed the case with Rupganj Police Station yesterday.
Hashem’s four sons are: Hasib Bin Hashem, Tarek Ibrahim, Tawsib Ibrahim and Tanjim Ibrahim.
Others accused and arrested are: Sajeeb Group’s Chief Operating Officer Shahan Shah Azad, Hashem Foods Deputy General Manager Mamunur Rashid, and its Civil Engineer and Admin Officer Salahuddin.
Hashem, chairman and managing director of Sajeeb Group, which owns the factory, and his sons were arrested at their Gulshan home in the capital and the three others at different places in the capital.
A Narayanganj court placed each of the the eight accused on a four-day remand after police produced them before the court with prayers for 10-day remand.
Hashem was an Awami League nominated candidate for Laxmipur-3 parliamentary seat in 2008 general elections. He was defeated by BNP sponsored candidate Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, while visiting the Narayanganj factory yesterday, said no one will be spared if their negligence is found to be a cause of the tragedy.
“Every responsible persons will be brought under trial,” he added.
Though the cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained, police suspect that it originated from an electrical short circuit on the ground floor where flammable goods like cartons and paper rolls were stored.
Firefighters on Friday said the total number of deaths was 52. But police and district administration yesterday said the number was 51.
Bodies of 48 people trapped on the third floor with its lone exit locked were found. The bodies were charred beyond recognition. Most of the victims were women and children. Besides, at least 10 others were injured while the firemen rescued 25 from the rooftop of the factory.
After conducting the autopsy of 49 bodies at Dhaka Medical College morgue, 15 bodies were sent to a mortuary of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College as the DMCH mortuary was at capacity.
The body of Morsalin, 22, who jumped off the second floor, was handed to his family members.
Besides, samples of 51 family members of 36 deceased were collected for DNA matching.
Some of the families have demanded compensation for their losses.
On the site of the six-storey building, Director (operations) of Fire Brigade and Civil Defense Lt Col Zillur Rahman said, “We didn’t find adequate firefighting equipment. Some places in the building were locked. Many could not get out because of the partitions. These can be a cause of the fire and the loss of life.”
There is a chance that the fire originated from electric sparks as machineries and raw materials were kept at the same place.
The entire building was full of combustible materials, he said, adding that some sections were locked.
A team from the Electric Safety and Security Association of Bangladesh (ESSAB) visited the building and was shocked at the level of fire safety measures.(Daily Star)
