One year of Chawkbazar fire: police still clueless
Exactly one year after the tragic blaze at Wahed Mansion in Chawkbazar, police have neither arrested a single accused, nor made any headway in investigation.
Despite a public outcry for their arrest, owners of the building remained out of law enforcers' radar until they surrendered before a High Court bench on March 11 and secured bail. The two siblings finally landed in jail on April 2 after they surrendered to a lower court. However, the duo secured a six-month bail in August -- which was later extended by a year -- and are currently out of prison.
Much like the building owners, law enforcers in the last one year could not arrest the owners and top officials of the chemical warehouse in the building. On that fateful day, huge explosions took place at the warehouse on the first floor of the residential building, initiating the fire that engulfed the nearby areas.
The victim families, meanwhile, are still bearing the brunt of the incident, with some shifting to their village homes -- unable to bear daily expenses in the city. The investigation officer has so far taken nine dates from the trial court to submit a probe report. The next date of submitting the report is February 26.
The only thing investigators can say for certain in one year of investigation is the name of the warehouse -- Paarl Trading International -- and its owner and some top officials.
Kabir Hossain Hawlader, inspector (investigation) of Chawkbazar Police Station, said they could not identify and locate the owners, as they did not get any clue about them.
"We got some information and addresses going through their trade licence, passport and national ID cards. But visiting those places, we found the information were incorrect," Kabir, the investigation officer of the case filed following the incident, said recently.
The police officer, however, said they were investigating with sincerity, and waiting for the post-mortem report from the forensic medicine department at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. According to police, Mohammad Kashif, the executive director of the company; and two directors Imtiaz Ahmed and Mozammel Iqbal -- have gone into hiding after the incident.
The company's offices at Moulvibazar of Old Dhaka and Hatirpool have remained shut since then. Family members of victims, however, are frustrated over the progress in investigation, and raised questions about sincerity of law enforcers in tracking down the culprits.
"Our police are very capable, and are arresting dreaded criminals; I do not know why police are not able to arrest them [the culprits]. They are moving freely… The building owners, after coming out of jail on bail, are also leading their normal lives," said Nahida Rahman, wife of slain ASM Anwar Hossain, a pharmacy shop owner near Wahed Mansion.
"Our families have been destroyed... We want justice and compensation," she said.
"They are just biding time… We fear the case will be buried after a couple of years," said a family member of another victim, preferring anonymity.
The victims in the deadly fire are mostly pedestrians, people travelling on rickshaws and cars, residents of the buildings as well as owners and staff of the shops located near the Wahed Mansion.
Md Asif, son of victim Md Jummun, filed a case with Chawk Bazar Police Station against two Wahed Mansion owners -- Hasan and Sohel -- and at least 12 unnamed persons after the incident.
Talking to The Daily Star, Asif said, "We do not see any sign of getting justice… I want justice for all those who are responsible."