Police have filed a case against Amin Mohammad Group and three people in connection with the devastating fire at the Green Cozy Cottage sshopping mall on Bailey Road in Dhaka, which took away 46 lives.
Amin Mohammad Group is the owner of the seven-storey shopping mall. The other three accused are Anwarul Haque, 29, the owner of "Cha Chumuk" food stall," where the fire originated; Munshi Hamimul Alam Bipul, 40, the building`s manager, and Sohel Siraj, 34, the owner of "Kacchi Bhai" restaurant.
Shahidul Islam, sub-inspector of Ramna Police Station filed the case last night, charging the accused of causing death by negligence and attempted murder, according to Muhammad Salman Farsi, assistant commissioner (Ramna zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Anwarul and Hamimul have already been arrested in this case among the accused.
Besides, two more people were detained for interrogation, said Salman Farsi.
According to the case statement, Amin Mohammad Group owns the Green Cozy Cottage, which is managed by Hamimul.
The building was rented out for commercial activities that violated the rules. The accused, as well as other restaurant owners and managers, have been operating unlawfully by "managing the shop inspectors of Rajuk," according to the statement.
After a preliminary investigation, it came out that the building`s owner and manager had rented out the space to multiple eateries and retail stores without the required permission from the relevant authorities. According to the statement, these restaurants used to cook using gas cylinders and burners without taking the necessary safety precautions.
The statement said, one of these gas cylinders that was kept in the "Cha Chumuk" restaurant`s kitchen exploded, starting a fire that spread across the building and killing people and injuring others by suffocating them in shops and restaurants.
The building was constructed as a residential building, according to the statement. Subsequently, the accused and other businesses operating on different floors were able to obtain commercial licenses from the appropriate authorities to operate within the building.
The owners of the restaurant, according to the statement, were not authorized by the fire department to use stoves and gas cylinders for cooking. It further stated that the situation was made worse by the lack of enough fire extinguishers, firefighting supplies, and fire exit stairs.
The case statement also stated that 46 people tragically died as a result of the building owner`s and the accused`s negligence, recklessness, and carelessness, while several others suffered serious burns and smoke-related injuries.
