2 Wahed Mansion owners sent to jail

A Dhaka court today sent two owners of the Wahed Mansion, from where the deadly Chawkbazar fire originated, to jail in a case filed over the deaths of 70 people.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Kaisarul Islam sent the duo -- Md Hasan and Sohel alias Shahid, both the sons of Abdul Wahed -- to jail after rejecting their bail petition when they surrendered before the court.

Soon after the bail rejection order, Officer-in-Charge (investigation) of Chawkbazar Police Station Md Muradul Islam and also the investigation officer of the case submitted a 10-day remand prayer for quizzing them.

But the court has yet to fix the date for hearing on the remand prayer.

Earlier on March 11, the duo surrendered before the High Court seeking ad-interim bail in the case. After the hearing, the HC granted them bail for a period of three weeks.

In the meantime, they were directed to surrender before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka within the period.

Showing respect to the HC order, the duo surrendered before the court and sought bail in the case, argued lawyer of the duo.

While the prosecution opposed the petition saying that the duo was fully responsible for the fire incidents that led 70 people dead. So their bail petitions should be rejected and be sent to jail.

The fire that broke out at Chawkbazar in Old Dhaka on February 20 killed at least 70 people.

The old town blaze could have been even more devastating had the flames came into contact with the huge stockpile of chemicals in the basement of Haji Wahed Mansion.

Haji Abdul Wahed, a former commissioner of ward-64 of undivided Dhaka City Corporation, constructed the building 18 to 20 years ago, locals said.

Of his two sons, Hasan lives on the third floor of the four-storey building with his family. Two other tenants live on the floor, which also accommodates a storeroom of perfume and lotion.

Wahed's other son Sohel's family lives on the second floor. 

Following the incidents, Md Asif, son of Md Jummun, filed a case with Chawkbazar Police Station against the two accused for the deaths of 70 including his father in the fire.