Chawkbazar fire: 'Responsible persons to be brought to book'

Investigation into the Chawkbazar fire is going on and those responsible for the incident will be brought under the purview of law, the deputy commissioner (Lalbagh Zone) said today.

“We are investigating the matter. We will not only arrest the two whose names have been mentioned in the case filed over the incident, anyone found responsible will be brought to book,” DC Ibrahim Khan told reporters while visiting Chawkbazar area today.

He said the drive to remove chemicals from old Dhaka will continue in assistance with law enforcers and Dhaka South City Corporation.

Meanwhile, Pradip Ranjan Chakrabarty, the additional secretary of safety and services department under the Home Ministry, also visited the spot as part of the ongoing investigation over the fire that broke out on February 20.

“Today was the last day of investigation. We have collected information from primary and secondary sources, including eye witnesses. And we are also examining the video footages released on different media. After observing and scrutinising everything, a final report will be made,” the additional secretary said.

WHAT HAPPENED AT CHAWKBAZAR?

A devastating fire broke out at Old Dhaka’s Chawkbazar area around 10:40pm on February 20, leaving 67 people dead on the spot.

The victims are mostly pedestrians, people travelling on rickshaws and cars, residents of the buildings as well as owners and staff of the shops and warehouses at the buildings.

The Chawkbazar fire, which sparked from a chemical warehouse, is the second deadliest chemical-fueled fire in the country after the 2010 Nimtoli incident.