TOUSIF KAIUM

Customers were allegedly locked inside a restaurant during the deadly blaze at Green Cozy Cottage on Bailey Road to ensure bill payments, according to findings by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The investigation also found that stairways and emergency exits were obstructed by gas cylinders and other materials, significantly increasing the death toll.

The fire broke out on the night of February 29, 2024, killing 46 people -- three from burns and 43 from suffocation.

Later, a case was filed with Ramna Police Station, and the CID was tasked with the investigation.

Nearly two years later, the agency submitted a charge sheet to a Dhaka court yesterday, naming 22 individuals as accused.

They include Md Ramjanul Haque Nihad, managing director of Amin Mohammad Foundation, and Sohel Siraj, owner of Kacchi Bhai, along with several other restaurant owners and safety managers.

CID investigation officer Inspector Md Shahjalal Munshi confirmed the submission to The Daily Star.

According to the charge sheet, the main gate of Kacchi Bhai was locked shortly after the fire broke out to prevent customers from leaving without paying their bills.

However, Sohel Siraj denied the allegation.

“God forbid; we would never stoop so low for our business. This is a completely baseless allegation. I do not know why CID has made such a report. Rather, 44 of our staff members broke the glass and escaped. At the same time, many of them used fire extinguishers to try to put out the fire,” he told The Daily Star.

Siraj added that he was arrested by Ramna police after the incident and released eight days later.

The CID found that as the fire spread, people on different floors tried to reach the rooftop but were unable to do so, as the eighth floor and rooftop had been illegally converted into a duplex restaurant.

Many also attempted to escape through the staircase, but it was blocked by gas cylinders and other materials, trapping them inside.

Investigators identified multiple safety violations in the building. Although it was approved for commercial use up to five floors and residential use for three, it had been illegally extended to eight commercial floors.

None of the 10 restaurants in the building had valid documentation, according to the charge sheet. Flammable decorative materials helped the fire spread quickly, and the building lacked an effective ventilation system.

The rooftop, which should have remained open, had been enclosed as a duplex restaurant and was often kept locked, hampering rescue efforts.

CID sources said the fire likely started from an electric kettle at a ground-floor coffee shop named “Cha Chumuk”.

On the night of the incident, Kacchi Bhai had high customer traffic due to special leap year offers. Investigators allege that restaurant manager Jain Uddin Jisan ordered the main gate to be locked, contributing to the fatalities.

A CID official said the manager’s decision was a key factor in several deaths, leading to his inclusion in the charge sheet.

Rejecting the claim, Siraj said, “It is true that there was an offer that day, but it was only on Foodpanda. “ There was no dine-in offer. This is also propaganda against us.”