'I jumped off the roof for my life'

Survivors today alleged that there was no emergency exit in the seven-storey commercial building on Bailey Road that caught fire yesterday.

Taking treatment in hospitals, they today described how people resorted to extreme measures to save their lives.

Md Iqbal, a waiter at Mejbani Khana of the building, recounted how a routine day at work turned into a nightmare.

Now lying on a bed in the Dhaka Medical College Hospital's Ward 102, he described his ordeal to The Daily Star.

"I was working as usual like other days. Suddenly, I saw smoke all around. It was difficult to even breathe. Later, it was quite a struggle to make it to the rooftop, where the firefighters eventually rescued me," he told The Daily Star.

Md Iqbal, who considers himself fortunate to be alive, said there was no way to escape the inferno as there were no emergency exits in the building.

"Since the fire originated from the ground floor, there was no option of escaping [the building] using the stairs," he added.

Echoing his statement, Mujahidul Islam Jubayer said, "I work as a chef at Khana's Restaurant located on the second floor of the building.

"While I was cooking, our manager alerted us about a fire downstairs and instructed us to evacuate to the roof. On the rooftop, we saw many people jumping off to escape the flames and smoke. I followed suit, and after that, I have no idea what happened to me."

He is now undergoing treatment at the DMCH.

At least 46 people died and 12 were injured in last night's fire at the Green Cozy Cottage Shopping Mall on Bailey Road in the capital.