3 years of Churihatta blaze: Back in trade stained with blood

On this day three years ago, 71 people lost their lives in a devastating explosion originating from chemicals illegally stored in Wahed Mansion in Old Dhaka.

But the tragedy doesn't seem to have weighed enough on the consciences of the owners of the building in Chawkbazar's Churihatta; they have recently rented out the basement parking lot as a plastic toy warehouse -- also a fire hazard.

One of these correspondents visited the building area on three consecutive days last week and found labourers hauling cartons of recycled plastic toys into the parking lot, which was filled to the brim with boxes.

The building staff and locals told the correspondent on condition of anonymity that the space was rented out this month to a toy-making factory from Kamrangirchar.

When the staff were asked if they knew there was a massive fire three years ago, they said they did, and pointed to four fire extinguishers hooked to the wall for "fire safety".

The basement is essentially meant to be used as a parking lot of a residential building, not a warehouse, and thus contains no fire exit. But in a place like Chawkbazar where free real-estate is scanty, this practice is quite common.

According to Bangladesh Environment Conservation Rules-1997, no industrial units using hazardous chemicals or goods can operate in and around a residential area.

This latest discovery -- that the owners of the very building where a deadly fire spread from a warehouse have now rented space to another warehouse -- comes at a time when police have pressed charges against the two owners of Wahed Mansion for negligence, causing the deaths of 71 people and injuries to many others.

The Daily Star tried to reach the owners, Md Hasan Sultan and Md Hossain Sultan alias Sohel, who live in Wahed Mansion, right above the basement warehouse, but to no avail. The building's security guard keeps the gate shut tight.

The guards are also allegedly keeping the gate shut to the family of the previous security guard, who died in the inferno, and have been trying to extract compensation from the owners of the warehouse.

Fifty-five-year-old Sujal Haque was the security guard and caretaker of Wahed Mansion, and he died on the spot in the explosion.

"My father worked for them for four years. He was their employee, they should give some sort of compensation," said his daughter Bibi Hazera who came to the location as recently as Friday. "When we try to meet the owners, we are turned away."

Hazera's husband Md Ibrahim had also perished in the inferno, leaving her alone with two young daughters. The 32-year-old used to run a paan-cigarette shop in front of Wahed Mansion. Along with Ibrahim died his cousin Md Anwar Hossain, who had come to the city 10 days ago.

LITTLE OR NO COMPENSATION

In April, 2019, forty private banks deposited cheques worth Tk 30 crore in the government's national relief fund for the victims, according to a report The Daily Star ran on April 4 that year.

None of the families have seen any of that money, claimed the families.

Meanwhile, out of the 72 people who died, the families of only 21 received some compensation from the government.

Sixteen families took jobs as city corporation cleaners, earning Tk 500 on the days of work cleaning streets of the capital.

Three families got shops. Two families got Tk 2 lakh as monetary compensation.

In addition to this, the families of six more people among those critically injured in the fire received either cleaning gigs with the city corporation or Tk 2 lakh.

"We have heard that a huge fund [deposited in the national relief fund] was collected for us. I wish they would distribute that to us, or loan that to us," said Nasiruddin, who leads a collective of victims' families.

Nur Nabi Parvez, the son of the security guard killed in the explosion, had chosen to work as a cleaner, but says that he can hardly make ends meet.

"I can earn at best Tk 10,000 a month. Friday is an off day so I get no money. It is the same with government holidays. I have wife and a son, three unmarried sisters and mother to take care of. The house rent itself costs Tk 7,000."

Prior to his father's death, Nur Nabi worked as a trader, while his father supplemented his income with Tk 7,000 monthly.

When Sayeed Khokon, the former mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, promised them jobs, textile engineer Khalilur Rahman Miraj saw a glimmer of hope.

His brothers Masud Rana and Mahbubur Rahman Rana had a small mobile accessories store and had both perished in the fire.

"But then I learnt that cleaning jobs are all they are giving. I want something better befitting my degree," he said.

Abdul Mannan, a storekeeper, said he lost Tk 14 lakh worth of goods in the fire but received compensation worth Tk 2 lakh only. "I have not been able to restart my business since then."

Inadequate, or non-existent compensation, and another looming fire hazard -- that is how one can sum up three years of the Churihatta blaze.