Trial begins finally

A Dhaka court yesterday finally started trial against 13 people in the case filed in connection with the devastating fire at Tazreen Fashions that killed 112 workers in Ashulia in 2012.

Judge SM Saiful Islam of the First Additional Sessions Judge's Court began the trial with deposition of Sub-Inspector Khairul Islam, complainant of the case.

After recording statement of the complainant, the defence of eight accused including Tazreen's Managing Director Delwar Hossain and his wife Mahmuda Akter, also chairman of the company, completed cross-examining the witnesses.

Recording officer of the case SI Shah Jalal also gave his statement before the court, which fixed February 7 for the next hearing.      

Six other accused, now behind bars, were also hauled before the court during the hearing, while five are on the run.

In his deposition, Khairul said after getting information about the fire on November 24, 2012, he along with force rushed to the factory and made attempts to rescue the workers and send them to nearest hospitals and clinics.

“I made inquest reports of the dead and the following day filed a case with Ashulia Police Station against unknown people for causing the fire that killed and injured workers of the factory,” said Khairul in his statement.    

The recording officer said after getting an order from the superior authorities, he recorded the case as a regular one.

On December 22, 2013, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against 13 people, including Delwar and his wife.

Delwar and his wife were charged with constructing the building on a faulty plan with the help of engineers and illegally using the ground-floor walkway as a warehouse.

There was no fire exit at the factory in violation of the labour law provisions, the charge sheet said.

The managers and security guards were charged with forcing the workers to get back to work though smoke was billowing from the ground floor where the fire started.