Bailey Road fire: Owners of building, restaurants sued

Police have filed a case against Amin Mohammad Group and three persons over the deadly fire at the Green Cozy Cottage shopping mall on Bailey Road in Dhaka that claimed 46 lives.

Shahidul Islam, sub-inspector of Ramna Police Station, filed the case on Friday night.

Amin Mohammad Group, the owner of the seven-storey shopping mall; Anwarul Haque, 29, owner of "Chumuk" fast food, where the fire originated; Munshi Hamimul Alam Bipul, 40, the building's manager, and Sohel Siraj, 34, the owner of "Kacchi Bhai" restaurant were made accused in the case, said Mohammad Salman Farsi, assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Ramna zone.

The accused have been charged with death by negligence and attempted murder, said the official.

"Among the accused, Anwarul and Hamimul have already been arrested in the case," he added.

Besides, two more persons were detained for questioning, said Salman Farsi.

According to the case statement, Green Cozy Cottage, owned by Amin Mohammad Group and managed by Hamimul, has been leased for unauthorized commercial activities, breaching regulations.

The accused along with other restaurant owners and managers have been operating their business illegally by "managing the shop inspectors of Rajuk," it said.

During primary investigation, it has been revealed that the owner and manager of the building rented out the premises to multiple restaurants and shops without obtaining the necessary approvals from relevant authorities. These restaurants used gas cylinders and stoves for cooking without implementing adequate safety measures, said the statement. 

According to the statement, with the connivance of the building owner and the manager, the proprietors of various restaurants within the building have been storing a large number of gas cylinders on the ground floor and have been using these gas cylinders and gas stoves in a negligent, reckless, careless and dangerous manner without regard for public safety.

The statement said one such gas cylinder, stored in the kitchen of "Chumuk" restaurant, exploded, triggering a fire that engulfed the building, causing deaths and injuries through burns and suffocation to individuals in restaurants and shops on various floors.

The statement mentioned that the building was constructed as a residential building. Later, the accused, along with other businesses on different floors, managed to obtain commercial certificates from relevant authorities for conducting business within the structure.

However, the restaurant owners didn't have permission from the fire service office to use gas cylinders, and stoves for cooking. Moreover, the absence of sufficient fire extinguishers, firefighting equipment, and fire exit stairs further exacerbated the situation, it added.

The negligence, recklessness, and carelessness of the building owner and the accused led to the tragic deaths of 46 people, with many others sustaining severe burns and smoke-related injuries, said the case statement.