No one can escape the responsibility for the fire incident at Green Cozy Cottage on Bailey Road in the capital. Building owners, restaurant owners and restaurant owner associations or related government offices are all responsible.
Bangladesh Restaurant Owners' Association Secretary General Md Imran Hasan said this during the inspection of the burnt building on Bailey Road on Sunday.
Imran said: "We do not want to distance ourselves from this incident. Effective steps must be taken now to prevent such incidents from happening again. I will appeal to the government — it is not possible for the restaurant owner association alone to monitor all the restaurants in Bangladesh. We want to work with everyone. That is why we have given more than 1,000 letters to various departments, but we didn't get any solution."
Expressing his frustration, he added: "The prime minister has started activities on food safety before. We want a task force to be formed. Within the next 3-6 months, all the restaurants in the country, their fire-fighting system, their safety should be ensured by the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association through this task force. Those who cannot comply with our prescribed guidelines will close their restaurants. They don't need to do business."
Imran emphasized: "However, in this case, no restaurant owner should be oppressed. There is a huge investment in this sector. 3 million workers are working here. The restaurant sector accounts for 20% of consumers. Farmers are involved as well as traders. It is an industry, and we want the cooperation of the government to implement the protection of this industry."
