The authorities on Wednesday identified seven of the nine bodies found in the charred remains of a garment factory in Gazipur district’s Sreepur upazila. The Pall Mall Group-owned Aswad Knitting and Dyeing Factory at Bharaiderchala caught fire on Tuesday evening.
The cause of the fire and extent of damage, however, remains unknown. Two committees have been set up to investigate the matter.
Deputy assistant director of Gazipur fire service, Aktaruzzaman Liton, told The Independent that the blaze started in the second floor of the factory. It took eight fire fighting units from Gazipur, Tongi, Kaliakoir, Bhaluka and Dhaka to bring the blaze under control around 3 am on Wednesday.
Liton added that fire-fighters had found nine bodies so far, and there was no possibility of finding any other victim.
The factory’s chief of security, Bashir Ahmed, identified some of the dead as deputy general manager Naimur Rahman (26), assistant manager Md Rasheduzzaman (33), operator Rubel Miah (23), Bulbul Islam (29), Minhajul Haque (23) and Lazu Miah, alias Razu (21).
Ahmed said the bodies of Rasheduzzaman and his nephew, Naimur Rahman, were found in the first floor of the factory around 2.30 am on Wednesday. They were later handed over to their family members. Another body found on Wednesday morning was handed over to the victim’s relatives. The Gazipur district administration has announced an ex gratia of Tk. 50,000 for the families of each of the dead. The district administration said DNA tests may be carried out to identify the other two victims.
The acting deputy commissioner of Gazipur, Shahnewaz Dilruba Khan, said the district administration has formed a committee to probe the cause of the fire. The panel will be headed by additional district magistrate Mohammed Mohsin. The other members are chairman of Sreepur upazila council Iqbal Hossain Sobuz, representative of superintendent of Gazipur police, Sreepur upazila Nirbahi officer Aziz Haider Bhuiyan, deputy director of fire service Rafikul Islam, representative of Gazipur civil surgeon and representative of labourer. They were called to submit their report within seven days.
On the other hand, another three-member probe committee was formed on Wednesday. The members of this committee are deputy director (administration and finance) of fire service department, assistant director of Dhaka fire service and deputy assistant director of Gazipur fire service.
Rahmat Ali MP, director general of fire service, deputy inspector general of industrial police Abdus Salam, director of Gazipur industrial police Abul Khaiyer, the acting deputy commissioner of Gazipur, additional deputy commissioner (revenew) Shevastina Rema, Sreepur upazila council chairman Iqbal Hossain Sobuz and additional police super of Gazipur Sonjit Kumar visited the spot.
-With The Independent input
