In the case over the devastating Bailey Road fire that claimed 46 lives, the owner of the Amin Mohammad Foundation surrendered to a Dhaka court on Sunday but withdrew his bail application, while another accused, owner of Hakka Dhaka Restaurant, secured bail.
Md Ramzanul Haque Nihad, owner of the Amin Mohammad Foundation, and Adib Alam, owner of Hakka Dhaka Restaurant, surrendered through their lawyers before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka and applied for bail.
Nihad subsequently withdrew his bail application. However, after hearing arguments from lawyers for Adib Alam, the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Hasan Shahadat granted him bail on a surety of Tk5,000.
Additional Public Prosecutor Shamsuddoha Sumon confirmed the matter to media.
On 19 April, the court took cognisance of the charge sheet against 22 accused, including owners of various restaurants in the building, and issued arrest warrants against 13 absconding accused.
On that day, nine of the 22 accused were present in court. As the other 13 were absent, the court ordered the issuance of arrest warrants against them. 19 May has been set for a compliance hearing regarding the arrests.
The accused against whom arrest warrants were issued include: Md Ramzanul Haque Nihad (owner, Amin Mohammad Foundation); Iqbal Hossain Kawsar (space owner, Chayer Chumuk Coffee Shop); Latifur Nehar (owner, Mezbanikhana Restaurant); Khaled Mohammad Saifullah and Anjan Kumar Saha; Md Mushfiqur Rahman (owner, Ambrosia Restaurant); Jaglul Hasan (owner, PitZain Restaurant); Ashikur Rahman and Hossain Mohammad Tarek (owners, Street Oven Restaurant); Russell Ahmmed (owner, Fuko Restaurant); Md Sadril Ahmmed Shuvo; Adib Alam; Rafi Uz Zahed; and Shah Faisal Nabin.
On 2 April, Investigation Officer and CID Inspector Shah Jalal Munshi submitted the charge sheet, finding the accused had committed offences under seven sections of the Penal Code.
The charge sheet alleges that the accused, in conspiracy with one another, violated government rules and regulations. They conducted hotel business illegally without valid approvals and used gas cylinders and electric ovens improperly.
On 29 February 2024, at around 9:45pm, a devastating fire at the Green Cozy building on Bailey Road killed 46 people. Eleven others were injured, and 75 were rescued alive.
Police filed a case on 1 March at Ramna Police Station, accusing the named individuals of negligence, carelessness, recklessness, and criminal conspiracy leading to death and damage.
