‘We are alive thanks to them’

Whenever there is a devastating blaze threatening the lives of people, the ones everyone looks to for saving the day are the fire service and civil defence personnel.

It was the same during the tragedy that occurred on Bailey Road on Thursday.

As harrowing stories of the inferno at a commercial building kept coming, a few survivors yesterday expressed their gratitude to the saviours -- the fire fighters.

"I wouldn't be here if they didn't reach in time," said Prof Ahmed Kamruzzaman Majumder, who went to the Zesty restaurant of the building with his family to celebrate his daughter Waziha's 12th birthday.

Majumder, a teacher at Stamford University, had no idea about the ordeal he and his wife and two daughters would face in the following couple of hours.

In a conversation with The Daily Star, he recounted the fire incident and how he and his family survived with the help of the brave fire fighters.

He said he and his two daughters, Waziha Zaman Majumder, 12 and Wazah Zaman Majumder, 7, along with his wife advocate Mahrufa Gulshan Ara, went to the restaurant to spend some quality family time together.

"It was a sudden decision to go to the restaurant, as it was just two buildings away from our home," he said.

Soon after they placed their orders at the restaurant, Kamruzzaman smelled something burning and, shortly afterwards, saw smoke rising from the lower floors.

"Due to my research and work on disaster management, I could sense the danger," he said. "Looking out the window, I saw people gathering and shouting, pointing towards a building across the street. Smoke was also rising beside the restaurant window."

"I didn't waste any time and decided to leave the restaurant premises as soon as possible, and planned to go upstairs," he continued.

"There were about 10-12 people in the restaurant at the time. I instructed them to leave immediately as well," he said.

There was no safety gear in the restaurant, he recalled. As they moved out of the restaurant to the lobby, a space that can barely fit 12-15 people, they found smoke coming heavily from downstairs.

"Dozens of people were trying to go upstairs. Meanwhile, some people were attempting to go downstairs too," he recalled, adding, "Soon they realised going down wouldn't be possible through the thick, hazardous smoke and followed us to the roof."

"The smoke was becoming alarmingly dense every second. As we were in pursuit of fresh air, the smoke was following us like death," he said.

Kamruzzaman said he heaved a sigh of relief to find the rooftop door open.

Even on the roof, at least 75 percent of the space was reserved for restaurants and prayer spaces, said the professor.

"However, the roof provided some fresh air but did not guarantee our safety. As time passed, the smoke and heat from the fire intensified, relentlessly rising towards the rooftop, and fear gripped the approximately 40 people, mostly women, who had taken shelter there," he said.

As smoke began to engulf the roof, people tried to save themselves by covering their faces with wet clothes. Many sat down in prayer on the roof, desperately praying for survival, he recalled.

"Just as hope dwindled, we heard the news of the fire service's arrival. However, we couldn't see the crane due to a rooftop restaurant blocking the view," Kamruzzaman continued.

"Then, after some time, we saw a firefighter climb up to the roof. Finally, around midnight, we spotted the crane," he said.

He said the fire fighters, over the next two hours, gradually lifted and evacuated people in groups -- children and women first, and then others.

"Today, I have already ordered a birthday cake for Waziha. We'll have to celebrate her birthday, as she told me, 'Baba, eta amar dwitiyo jonmo (Father, it's my second life)," said Kamruzzaman.