Following the devastating fire in Bailey Road, the authorities started drives against restaurants and coffee shops to find any negligence toward fire safety.
However, dishonest sections of officials of various government agencies responsible for monitoring these buildings remain out of sight.
The authorities concerned on Tuesday sealed off at least six restaurants including Sultan’s Dine and Nawabi Bhoj, and a building in Bailey Road and Khilgaon areas in the capital due to fire safety risk.
In the last three days, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), Fire Service and Civil Defense, Police, and City Corporations sealed off at least 20 restaurants including Sultan’s Dine and Nawabi Bhoj in the capital due to fire safety risk.
Besides, they also arrested at least 150 people after raiding restaurants in different areas of the capital.
Following the devastating fire in Bailey Road, the authorities concerned started drives to see the fire safety negligence and anomalies at the restaurants and coffee shops in the capital and elsewhere in the country.
A Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) mobile court has sealed off a seven-storied Nightingale Sky View Tower in Khilgaon’s Shahid Baki Road for operating restaurants
without permits in a residential building.
DSCC Executive Magistrate Md Jahangir Alam led the raid in the building housing Shawarma King and Pasta Club, among other restaurants.
Hearing the news about the DSCC raid, most restaurants were closed, and no employees were present.
During the raid, the court went to the Nightingale Sky View Tower at 919/1 holding and found all the rest of the restaurants in the 7-story building closed except Sharma King on the 2nd floor.
At that time, the court sealed the building as the basement, restaurants and kitchens were built dangerously, there was only one staircase of 3 feet width, and the fire safety system of the entire building was inadequate.
Later, the court saw the closure of all the buildings in the area where there are restaurants.
Md Jahangir Alam, said “When we visited the building, we found small stairs and restaurants everywhere including the basements. Also, as per the building code, there were no required number of stairs and we have seen the restaurant kitchens being built dangerously. Because of that, we have sealed the entire building.”
He added that the building is sealed as per Section 18 of the Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Act, 2003.
The DSCC executive magistrate has said action will be taken against these closed restaurants.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence then posted a banner in front of the building declaring it “extremely risky in terms of fire safety” under the Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Act 2003.
According to local residents, most restaurants in the Khilgaon area have remained closed since Tuesday morning.
RAJUK on Tuesday sealed off four restaurants – Sultan’s Dine, Nawabi Bhoj, Roaster Cafe and Pizza Mastan – during a drive against buildings’ fire safety negligence at Bailey Road in the capital.
Mohammad Salman Farsi, Assistant Commissioner (Ramna zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said the restaurants are situated a few metres away from the building which was engulfed in a fire on February 29.
RAJUK officials started the raid around 11:00 am. A team from RAJUK, led by Executive Magistrate Md Monir Hossain Hawlader, conducted the drive.
Officials said Nawabi Bhoj was sealed off as it operated without permission, while the rest of the three restaurants were sealed off as employees could not provide proper documents.
Meanwhile, Swiss Bakery in the same area was fined Tk1 lakh for its lack of fire safety. Also, Capital Siraj Centre was fined Tk2 lakh for not updating the fire clearance.
Rajuk officials said the people in charge of Sultan’s Dine restaurant could not show any documents despite saying they have all the paperwork.
Officials added that the next steps will be taken after Sultan’s Dine shows the documents.
On hearing the news of the raid, the employees of Nawabi Bhoj closed the restaurant and fled. Later, Nawabi Bhoj was sealed by Rajuk.
Sarfuddin, director of the Capital Siraj Center building, said, “We have everything up to date. Only the fire clearance has not yet been received.”
Swiss Bakery was also fined for not complying with fire safety regulations.
Police detained 35 employees of 11 eateries in the capital’s Mohammadpur area for not maintaining fire safety protocols on Monday night.
The raids were carried out in Geneva Camp, Ring Road, Tajmahal Road, and other surrounding areas.
Mahfuzil Haque Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mohammadpur police station, said they are looking into whether the eateries and restaurants in the area have proper approvals, whether gas cylinders are being used in safe places, and how durable their security system is.
Police, in separate raids, detained 24 people, including owners and managers of different eateries in the capital’s Kamrangirchar on Monday night.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Lalbagh Zone) Imran Hossain Mollah said the main objective of the raids is to make people aware of the use of flammable materials.
“Legal action is being taken as soon as irregularities and mismanagement are seen anywhere. Besides, many are being warned,” he said.
Police filed a case on Friday night against the Amin Mohammad Group and three persons over the deadly fire at the Green Cozy Cottage shopping mall on Bailey Road, which left 46 people killed.
In the case statement, police mentioned that the restaurants were set up illegally in the building by ‘managing shop inspectors of the RAJUK.’
According to the statement, with the connivance of the building owner and the manager, the proprietors of various restaurants within the building have been storing a large number of gas cylinders on the ground floor and have been using these gas cylinders and gas stoves in a negligent, reckless, careless and dangerous manner without regard for public safety.
The statement said one such gas cylinder, stored in the kitchen of ‘Chumuk’ restaurant, exploded, triggering a fire that engulfed the building, causing deaths and injuries through burns and suffocation to individuals in restaurants and shops on various floors.
Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon(Bapa) Vice President Architect Iqbal Habib said “The government agencies concerned development authorities, city corporations, fire services, Wasa, Titas, Desco, DPDC, law enforcement agencies and above all the building owners are responsible for these ongoing fires due to lawlessness and lack of supervision.