Bailey Road tragedy: Arrest warrants issued against 13 accused

A court has accepted the charge sheet submitted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) against 22 accused in the case filed over the deadly fire at the Green Cozy Cottage building on Bailey Road in the capital, which claimed 46 lives. Arrest warrants have also been issued against 13 absconding accused.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jewel Rana's court passed the order on Sunday, April 19, after a hearing. The court set May 19 for the next hearing regarding the arrest warrants.

Prosecution Sub-Inspector Jinnat Ali said nine of the 22 accused were present in court. As the remaining 13 were absent, the court issued arrest warrants against them.

Those against whom arrest warrants have been issued include owners of various restaurants and business establishments and their associates. They are Md Ramjanul Haque Nihad, Iqbal Hossain Kausar, Latifur Nehar, Khaled Mohammad Saifullah, Anjan Kumar Saha, Md Mushfiqur Rahman, Jaglul Hasan, Ashikur Rahman, Hossain Mohammad Tarek, Russell Ahmed, Md Sadril Ahmed Shuvro, Adib Alam, Rafi Uz Zahed, and Shah Faisal Nabin. Other accused are on bail.

Earlier, on April 2, the investigation officer and CID Police Inspector Shah Jalal Munsi submitted the charge sheet against 22 individuals.

The charge sheet states that the accused, in collusion with each other, violated government regulations and operated restaurant and hotel businesses illegally without necessary approvals. They irregularly used gas cylinders and electric ovens inside the building, which has been cited as a major cause of the fire.

The fire broke out at the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage building around 9:45 pm on February 29 last year. Forty-six people died in the devastating incident, three of whom were completely burnt to death.

Following the incident, Ramna Model Police Station Sub-Inspector Mohammad Shahidul Islam filed the case as plaintiff.