Four people, arrested in a case filed in connection with the devastating fire in the capital’s Bailey Road area, were put on a two-day remand each on Saturday.
The arrestees are Kacchi Bhai Manager Jishan, Cha Chumuk co-owners Anwarul Haq and Shakil Ahmed Rimon, and Green Cozy Cottage building manager, Hamimul Haq Bipul.
Meanwhile, six of the 11 people who were undergoing treatment at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery following the fire were released from the hospital on Saturday..
The police produced the four arrestees at the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Nurul Huda Chowdhury, seeking seven days for interrogation, said Utpaul Barua, officer-in-charge of Ramna police station.
Earlier in the day, he said: “We have arrested four people so far. They have been sent to court with a remand plea.
“But as far as we know, this Green Cozy Cottage building belongs to Amin Group. Its owner was Amin Mohammad. It is not yet known who is the present owner of the building. The investigation is going on, and I hope the information will come out soon.”
Police filed the case with the Ramna police station on Friday night, bringing an allegation of negligence, and were shown the four people arrested in the case.
According to the information given by the Fire Service and in the documents sent to the notice, the signature of Captain (Retd) Sardar Mizanur Rahman, managing director of Ambrosia Restaurant and Music Cafe, was found on behalf of the Green Cozy Cottage.
At least 46 people were killed, and over 20 others sustained severe injuries by a devastating fire on Thursday night.
Visiting several survivors at the burn institute on Saturday. afternoon, Health Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen said: “According to the decision of the 17-member medical board, it was decided to release six of the 11 patients under treatment at the burn institute.
“The remaining five will be under treatment as they are not out of danger. The six people who will be released are doing fairly well.
“Five people under treatment have swollen airways. They have a little complication in their lungs. That is why we are not releasing them now.”
Another two people injured in the fire were being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
In another development, Helal Uddin, president of the Bangladesh Shop Owners Association, expressed his resentment of the authorities concerned as they “only serve notices instead of monitoring fire safety issues” in commercial buildings.
"The government should take punitive action against the regulatory boards that have permitted business establishments in that building,” he said, visiting the fire-ravaged Green Cozy Cottage site.
The building lacked fire exits, according to the Fire Service, which said the blaze spread fast due to the presence of gas cylinders on several floors in the restaurant kitchens.
Our DMCH correspondent Aminul Islam Babu also contributed to the report
