Narayanganj factory fire: Hashem food owner, sons dropped from chargesheet

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police dropped the names of Hashem Food and Beverage factory owner and his four sons from the chargesheet in a murder case filed over a devastating fire that killed 54 workers.

"The CID Inspector and investigating officer of the murder case Moksedur Rahman pressed the charges against six accused before Narayanganj's Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Sunday," Narayanganj Chief Judicial Magistrate court's inspector Asaduzzaman said. 

After a hearing on the chargesheet on Monday, the court fixed 11 September for further hearing on the chargesheet, whether the chargesheet would be accepted or not, the police official added.

The horrific fire at the factory of Narayanganj's Rupganj on 8 July 2021, also left several hundred workers severely injured.  Of the victims, at least 51 workers were burned to death and others died by jumping from the building.

The factory owner, MA Hashem, who is also the Chairman of Sajeeb Group, along with his four sons - Hasib Bin Hashem, Tarek Ibrahim, Tawsib Ibrahim, and Tanjim Ibrahim - were initially named as the prime accused in the murder case filed by the Rupganj Police. However, they have since been dropped from the chargesheet.

Inspector Moksedur, the investigating officer, stated, "Shahan Shah Azad, the chief executive officer of the factory, and five others, including officials from the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE), have been listed as accused in the chargesheet."

MA Hashem and his two sons were arrested in the case immediately after the fire, but released on bail a few weeks later.

Humayun Kabir, Special Superintendent of Police for CID Narayanganj, said the case investigation had already been concluded prior to his appointment, so he is unable to give any comments or insights regarding the case.

CID inspector Moksedur, the fourth investigating officer in the case, said "When I took over the charge, the majority of the investigation had already been completed. The preceding investigating officer did not find any evidence implicating the factory owner and his sons in relation to the fire incident. I have submitted the chargesheet to the court."

The plaintiff in this case, Nazim Uddin Ahmed, is currently serving at the Special Branch (SB) in Chattogram. He expressed his frustration with the investigating officer, stating that he had not been informed about the outcome of the investigation.

He emphasised, "The owners of the factory cannot evade responsibility, which is why we filed a murder case following the tragic deaths of the workers."

A Citizens' Investigation Committee, comprising 19 prominent citizens, was formed to probe the fire incident. After a month of investigation, the committee published its findings, labeling the incident as "systematic murder".

Jyotirmoy Barua, the convener of the citizens' committee and a lawyer, stated on Monday that their investigation had revealed negligence on the part of the factory owner in ensuring the safety of the facility. 

He expressed the committee's frustration and disappointment that the CID investigation had omitted the names of the owner and his sons from the chargesheet, despite clear evidence indicating that their negligence had played a significant role in the tragic disaster.