Owners of shopping mall, ‘Chumuk’, ‘Kacchi Bhai’ sued

Police have filed a case against Amin Mohammad Group and three persons for the deadly fire at the Green Cozy Cottage shopping mall on Bailey Road in Dhaka that claimed 46 lives.

Amin Mohammad Group is the owner of the seven-storey shopping mall. The other three accuses are Anwarul Haque, 29, the owner of "Chumuk" fast food," 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, Muhammad Salman Farsi, assistant commissioner (Ramna zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star.

Among the accused, Anwarul and Hamimul have already been arrested in the case.

Besides, two more persons were detained for questioning, said Salman Farsi.

In the case statement, the SI said that the Green Cozy Cottage is owned by Amin Mohammad Group, and managed by Hamimul.

The building has been rented out for carrying out commercial activities in violation of rules. The accused and other restaurant owners and managers have been operating their business illegally by "managing the shop inspectors of Rajuk," it said.

After primary investigation, it is known that the owner and manager of the building rented out the facility to several restaurants and shops without proper approval from the concerned authorities. These restaurants used gas cylinders and stoves for cooking without proper safety measures, said the statement.

With the connivance of the building owner and the manager, the proprietors of various restaurants within the building have been storing a large number of gas cylinders on the ground floor and have been using these gas cylinders and gas stoves in a negligent, reckless, careless and dangerous manner without regard for public safety, the case statement said.

The statement said one such gas cylinder, stored in the kitchen of "Chumuk" restaurant, exploded, triggering a fire that engulfed the building, causing deaths and injuries through burns and suffocation to individuals in restaurants and shops on various floors.

The statement said the building was constructed as a residential building. Later, the accused, along with other businesses on different floors, managed to obtain commercial certificates from relevant authorities for conducting business within the structure.

However, the statement said, the restaurant owners didn't have permission from the fire service office to use gas cylinders, and stoves for cooking. Moreover, the absence of sufficient fire extinguishers, firefighting equipment, and fire exit stairs further exacerbated the situation, it added.

The negligence, recklessness, and carelessness of the building owner and the accused led to the tragic deaths of 46 people, with many others sustaining severe burns and smoke-related injuries, added the case statement.