The Old Dhaka neighbourhoods, where the deadliest blaze in recent memory claimed 117 lives on Thursday, are still numb with grief for the dear ones lost.
Throughout the day yesterday, locals huddled around on the alley ways. While many wailed in mourning, others vented anger at the house owners who rent out floors to be used as go-downs for flammable objects.
Though there was no official version yet on the cause of the fire, it was known for sure that chemicals stored in a five-storey building had swelled the flames, accounting for such high casualties.
Not only in the capital, there was an outpouring of grief all over the country.
The nation observed a day of mourning yesterday. Houses raised black flags and businesses remained closed in remembrance of those killed in the fire.
In Nimtoli, life was far from normal despite efforts by the utility service providers and Dhaka City Corporation.
The residents passed the day in mourning and narrating the horrors they have been through.
Along with the service providers, police and military personnel were working to restore normalcy. But they were having difficulty for huge crowds.
Gas supply resumed in the morning. Desa supplied electricity through alternative power lines while Wasa distributed water from its tanks.
Fire-fighters and city corporation staff were busy removing rubble from the burnt-up buildings and shops.
Locals wore black badges and kept their businesses shut. They have decided to do so today and tomorrow as well.
Meanwhile, families yesterday identified seven more bodies at Dhaka Medical College Morgue. Eight bodies were yet to be identified as of filing this report at 1:15 am.
Earlier in the afternoon, the three-member enquiry committee of the home ministry and CID explosives experts visited the spot.
The committee members talked to survivors, witnesses and on-duty law-enforcers and fire-fighters.
Iqbal Khan Chowdhury, chief of the probe body and additional home secretary,
told reporters they could not yet find out who owns the chemical go-down on the ground floor of the five-storey building, where the fire is believed to have started.
“Some say it's the house owner, while others say it's one of the tenants,” he added.
The CID personnel collected various substances from the scene and sealed off the five-storey building.
As many as 41 bodies were retrieved from that building.
Mohibul Haque, deputy commissioner of Dhaka, yesterday told The Daily Star, "The buildings will take some time to be ready for use."
He said they were giving the affected families Tk 20,000 each to get by the crisis period.
"So far, we have listed only 54 names. We could not yet trace all victim families."
Asked, he said, "The government will not give any compensation for the shops and factories, as they are the ones to be blamed for the disaster. They should rather be fined.”
Replying to another query, the DC said they were yet to decide whether to file any case in connection with the blaze.
Mohammad Khurshid Hossain, DMP deputy commissioner for Lalbagh, said, "As it was an accident, we have filed a general diary. And there is no possibility of bringing charges against anybody.”
He also said, "The fire originated from an oil stove and later spread to the chemical go-down.”
Bangladesh Society of Medicine, a forum of medical practitioners, in a press release yesterday said they have called off their strike in view of the Nimtoli and Begunbari tragedies.