Gazi Tyre Factory still burning as miscreants keep looting

The Gazi Tyre Factory in the Rupshi area of Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj, which was set on fire during looting, is still burning after 20 hours. The factory was set on fire on Monday evening after some miscreants set it on fire at 9:00 pm Sunday.

Earlier, some miscreants started looting the factory on Sunday at noon which continued till 5:00 pm.

Fire Service and Civil Defence director (Dhaka) Lieutenant Colonel Rezaul Karim said a six-storey building of the factory was still on fire. Modern fire extinguishing equipment is being used to douse the fire. There is no worry of the fire spreading further.

“It’s taking time to bring the fire under control due to the flammable materials used in the factory. We will start looking for the missing persons once the fire is completely doused,” he added.

Meanwhile, miscreants were seen looting from different parts of the factory on Monday afternoon too.  Although looting in the main part of the factory has stopped due to the presence of police, army personnel and students there.

However, looting was still on the other parts of the 45-acre factory. Miscreants were seen looting spare parts, steel, plastic and copper.

Prothom Alo spoke to several persons who took part in the looting. Most of them refused talking about this and some of them were enraged after being asked about the looting. However, at least three of them said the people in the area have been looting from the factory since the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August. They came to loot seeing other people. However, none of these people disclosed their identity.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, assistant manager of the factory Saiful Islam said on Sunday, two groups of nearly 1,000 people broke open the factory gate. There was no way to stop them. At one point, some of the looters set fire on the ground floor of a six-storey building inside the factory at around 9:00 pm.

He alleged although informed different law enforcement agencies including the police about the attack and sought, no one came forward to help. However, police denied the claim.

Narayanganj senior assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Habibur Rahman told the media, “The police were not negligent. We are trying our best to secure the factory.”

Speaking to Prothom Alo regarding this, Rupganj upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Ahsan Mahmud Rasel said, “The police, industrial police, Bangladesh Army and volunteers are working to prevent any further looting. I have asked them to be stricter in this regard.”