Police detain three over Bailey Road fire

The police have detained three people over the massive fire incident in a multi-storey building in the capital’s Bailey road area.

The arrestees are – Jainuddin Jisan, manager of Kacchi Bhai restaurant, Anwarul Haque and Shafiqur Rahman, owners of a food outlet named Chumuk.

They have been arrested today and are now being grilled in police custody, said KH Mahid Uddin, additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) at a press briefing at the DMP media centre in Dhaka on Friday evening.

The DMP official said the fire originated from a food shop on the ground floor of the building. The police will file a case with allegations of negligence-related deaths. The victims’ families also can file cases over the incident.

Asked if there was any negligence from the side of the building owner, Mahid Uddin said they will take legal action against all who will appear responsible for the incident.

A massive fire ripped through the seven-storey building after the blaze erupted around 9:45 pm on Thursday, leaving 46 people dead and 12 injured. Some 13 units of Fire Service went to the spot immediately and brought the blaze under control after hours of frantic efforts.

The building houses some prominent eateries, including Kacchi Bhai, and a clothing shop. It usually sees a rush in the evening, with people hanging out with their near and dear ones at the restaurants.