Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Saturday visited the Rupganj factory fire spot and termed the deaths of 52 workers as an incident of killing.
He told the journalists that eight members including Chairman Abul Hashem of Sajib Industrial Groups were arrested in a murder case filed with Rupganj police station.
The arrested are – Abul Hashem, his four sons- Hasib Bin Hashem, Tareq Ibrahim, Tawsiv Ibrabim, Tanjin Ibrahim, chief executive of the factory Shahjahan Shah Azad, deputy general manager Mamunur Rashid, general manager (admin) Salahuddin.
A Narayanganj court on Saturday placed eight accused, including the owner of Hashem Food factory and his four sons, on a four-day remand each in a case lodged over the Thursday's devastating fire at Sejan Food and Beverage Factory in Rupganj that claimed at least 52 lives.
The home minister said that nobody would be able to escape from the law net who had negligence in the incident of fire where at least 52 workers were roasted alive inside the factory that was locked.
He added that there might have fault in structure of the building and other causes that led to the death of so many workers but I am not inclined to talk about this before the investigation.
District police super Mohammad Jayedul Alam confirmed the murder case over factory fire and told that the case would be investigated by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), Narayanganj.
At least 52 workers of a juice factory were roasted alive in a devastating fire in Kornogop area of Rupganj Upazila in Narayanganj that broke out on Thursday at 5pm and continued till 11pm on Friday night.
The fire that originated on Thursday at 5pm on the third floor of Hashem Foods Limited’s Sejan Juice Manufacturer Unit, and the fire charred 49 workers. Earlier, three workers died jumping from the roof top of the building.
During the rescue operation Deputy Director (DD) of Fire Brigade and Civil Defence Abdullah Al-Arefin said that 49 charred bodies were recovered Friday from inside the factory and those of three others who died yesterday jumping from the building roof top. If the collapsible gate of the stair was not under lock and key the death toll would not be so high, the Fire Brigade DD added.
Fire Brigade sources claimed that the blaze continued for a long time due to two reasons- one is huge amount of flammable substances were stored inside the factory and the other reason is that the fire fighters faced trouble to get inside the factory.
Huge flammable substances were stored in the factory that was used for manufacturing juice so it was difficult to bring the fire under control, DD of the fire brigade said.
Although the fire had originated on third floor, later engulfed the all six floors and the workers had no exit point to come out that is why they were roasted alive in the fire, a demonstrator Hasan alleged.
The proper reason behind the fire could not yet been found, though apparently it was assumed that the fire originated from a welding source.
District administration has formed a five-member probe body headed by additional deputy commissioner Shamim Bepari to submit a report within seven days. District administration also paid money to each killed worker's family.
Massive police forces from Dhaka and Narsingdi district have been deployed on the spot to tackle any untoward situation.
Rupganj UNO Shah Nusrat Jahan said that the probe body will unearth the principle reason behind the fire and then legal steps to be proceeded against the persons responsible for the incident.
The ill-fated 49 bodies’ identity could not yet been settled as the bodies burnt to coal. The Forensic Department of Dhaka Medical College is trying to identify the bodies through DNA tests.
