The High Court today observed that if the recommendations made by the relevant probe committee after the 2010 Nimtoli tragedy had been implemented, the incident of Chawkbazar fire might have not taken place.
After the Nimtoli tragedy, a probe committee formed by the government had made a 17-point recommendation.
It suggested shifting warehouses to nonresidential areas, enforcing Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Rules 2003 and Bangladesh National Building Code, installing separate hydrant points in the city's different areas, forming a cross-functional licence issuing body and updating school and college textbooks to raise awareness from an early age.
Today, the HC said the administration had the responsibility to implement the recommendations.
The incident of Chawkbazar fire cannot be termed only an accident, but it is an unexpected incident and somebody has to take the responsibility for this incident, it said while holding hearing on few writ petitions filed in connection with the Chawkbazar fire.
The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader said the image of the country is damaged due to recurrence of such incidents.
A responsible person has reportedly held another person holding such position accountable for the incident which is improper, the HC said.
Many owners of many buildings at Old Dhaka live in posh areas like Gulshan and Banani after renting their buildings as chemical godowns at a handsome rental, the court said, adding that the city corporation authorities pretend as if they had not seen it.
Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar told the court that the government is sincere to solve the problems.
Then the court said it is not possible only for the prime minister to run the country though she (PM Sheikh Hasina) has done many things.
The prime minister had adopted two daughters of the victims of Nimtoli fire tragedy, it said.
The HC bench fixed 2:00pm tomorrow for resuming hearing on the petitions.
Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Advocate Amit Das Gupta and Advocate Eunus Ali Akond appeared for the petitioners.
Four separate writ petitions were filed with the HC on February 24 in connection with the Chawkbazar fire, with different prayers including compensation for the victims’ families and punishment for those responsible for the incident.
Advocate Eunus Ali Akond filed one of the writ petitions seeking HC directive on the government to compensate each of the victim families with Tk 30 lakh.
He submitted the petition also seeking HC order on the government to form a judicial inquiry commission to find out the cause behind the fire at Chawkbazar in Old Dhaka, to identify those responsible for the blaze and take punitive action against them.
Meanwhile, three other SC lawyers and an Old Dhaka resident have filed three separate writ petitions with the HC in connection with the same incident.
Among them, Advocate ZI Khan Panna, and Barrister Nur Mohammad Azmi, Barrister Khandker Md Sayedul Kawser submitted two separate writ petitions praying to the HC to direct the government to relocate the chemical warehouses from Old Dhaka as per recommendations from the committee formed by the government in 2010 after the Nimtoli tragedy.
Old Dhaka resident Md Zabed Miah submitted a writ petition requesting the HC to issue a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why they should not be directed to remove chemical warehouses and gas cylinders kept for commercial purpose from the area.
A devastating fire broke out at Chawkbazar around 10:30pm on February 20, leaving 67 people dead.
