No case was filed until last night over the deadly fire incident at a packaging factory in Tongi that killed at least 24 people and injured over 50 others, caused apparently due to negligence of the authorities concerned.
The fire fighters were struggling to bring the flames under control while a number of charred bodies feared to be lying inside of the factory building which collapsed like a sandwich.
Two committees, one by the Fire Service and another by the local administration, have been formed to find out the reason behind the fire and the persons to blame.
The investigation may take some time but the similar experiences in the past showed that negligence of the authorities to ensure workplace safety played a vital role behind the fatalities.
The collapse of poorly-built commercial building Rana Plaza on April 24, 2013 killing at least 1,136 people and the Tazreen Fashions factory fire that killed 112 workers on November 24, 2012 are examples of such incidents.
The owner of the Tampaco Foils Ltd in Tongi, Syed Mokbul Hossain, yesterday told reporters that he did not know whether the boiler had been faulty. He also could not say when the boiler machine was last inspected.
The flexible and tobacco packaging company has been in operation since 1978.
Legal experts say an accident can happen at a factory any time but the owner is legally-bound to take some safety measures to prevent or to minimise the risks of accidents. They can be booked if they fail to take proper measures and fatalities occur.
“In the Rana Plaza incident, police initially filed a case of ‘death due to negligence,' accusing 21 people including building owner Sohel Rana. But they later brought charges against 41, accusing all of them of murder,” Jyotirmoy Barua, a Supreme Court lawyer, mentioned as an example.
Another case was filed against 13 people, including Rana, with Savar police, charging them with flouting the National Building Code, he said.
On the other hand, two cases were filed in connection with the Tazreen fire incident, one accusing 15 staff of negligence leading to murder and another against its managing director Delwar Hossain and 30 others. The charge sheet was pressed bringing homicide charges against them.
According to the charges, the building was constructed following a faulty plan and the ground-floor walkway was illegally used as warehouse. The managers and security guards were charged as they forcefully kept the workers inside the building even after the fire alarms went off and smoke was seen billowing out from the spot that caught fire.
“So, in the case of Tampaco Foils Ltd, the owner and his officers can be booked if their acts of negligence are found. It can be any type of negligence regarding ensuring workplace safety. There should be a thorough investigation,” Jyotirmoy said.
The lawyer said the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments under the Industries Ministry was supposed to inspect the factories to check the available safety measures. Their duty is to see if workplace safety – including fire safety and welfare of workers – is maintained by the factory authorities.
“If the investigation finds their negligence, the officials should also be brought to book,” he said.
He alleged that no effective step was taken after the recent incidents to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
“Those who were responsible for such incidents remain unpunished,” Jyotirmoy said, adding that trials in the previous incidents were sluggish.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
