Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA) kept all oxygen plants in Chittagong closed on Friday in protest against the alleged harassment of Seema Oxygen Plant's Managing Director and one of the three owners Md Parvez Uddin Santu.
The association criticized the authorities for producing the MD before a court by tying a rope around his waist on Wednesday.
The BSBRA members are set to form a human chain in front of the Chittagong Press Club today demanding Santu's release and action against accused police personnel involved with the harassment.
Association leaders threatened that they would shut down all shipbreaking yards unless their demands were met within the stipulated time.
On Thursday, Industrial Police Sub-Inspector Arun Kanti Biswas was withdrawn and issued a show-cause notice for the incident.
BSBRA President Mohammad Abu Taher announced the strike at a protest meeting on Thursday. He said: “Owners of all oxygen plants in Chittagong announced to observe the shutdown on Friday protesting the harassment of Santu by the police.”
He said the country's business community felt ashamed of the incident of producing Chittagong-based Seema Oxygen Plant's MD Santu before the court by tying with a rope.
Santu was arrested on March 14 in a case filed over the blast at the oxygen plant at Sitakunda that left seven people dead and 30 others wounded on March 4. More than 300 dwellings were damaged due to the blast, which was caused by pressure built up in the boiler.
A Chittagong court placed Santu on a one-day remand on Wednesday.
Rokeya Begum, the wife of Abdul Quader who died in the explosion, filed the case against 16 people, including three brothers who own the oxygen plant.
In addition, unidentified officials and employees of the plant who were irresponsible in their duties have been charged in the case.
The case has been recorded under sections 337, 338, 304, and 427 of the Penal Code for causing death due to negligence. The sections of the case are bailable and the highest sentence is 10 years imprisonment.
Santu was arrested after the plant owners agreed to increase compensation for the victims to Tk10 lakh from Tk2 lakh at a meeting with the district administration.
