Bailey Road fire: CID reveals customer lock-in to make sure payment

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has submitted a damning charge sheet in the deadly Bailey Road fire case, alleging that restaurant staff locked customers inside to prevent them from leaving without paying bills, while blocked exits and illegal construction dramatically increased the death toll.

The February 29, 2024 blaze at Green Cozy Cottage killed 46 people - three from burns and 43 from suffocation - in one of Bangladesh's deadliest urban fires. 

Nearly two years after the tragedy, CID on Thursday filed charges against 22 individuals, including prominent restaurant owners and building officials.

According to the 1,200-page charge sheet, investigators found that the main gate of Kacchi Bhai restaurant was locked shortly after the fire began, trapping customers inside. CID investigation officer Inspector Md Shahjalal Munshi confirmed the submission to media.

Kacchi Bhai owner Sohel Siraj vehemently denied the allegations. "We would never stoop so low for our business. This is completely baseless," he told reporters, noting that 44 staff members broke windows to escape and attempted to fight the fire with extinguishers. Siraj was arrested immediately after the fire and released eight days later.

The investigation uncovered multiple safety violations that contributed to the high death toll. While the building was approved for five commercial floors and three residential floors, it had been illegally extended to eight commercial floors. None of the ten restaurants operating in the building had proper documentation.

CID found that emergency exits and stairways were blocked with gas cylinders and other materials, while flammable decorative materials accelerated the fire's spread. The building lacked proper ventilation, and the rooftop - which should have remained accessible - had been illegally converted into a duplex restaurant and was often locked.

Investigators determined the fire likely originated from an electric kettle at Cha Chumuk, a ground-floor coffee shop. On the night of the incident, Kacchi Bhai was particularly busy due to special leap year promotions. CID alleges that restaurant manager Jain Uddin Jisan ordered the main gate locked, a decision investigators say directly contributed to multiple fatalities.

The charge sheet names Md Ramjanul Haque Nihad, managing director of Amin Mohammad Foundation (the building owner), along with several restaurant owners and safety managers. The accused face charges under multiple sections of the Bangladesh Penal Code, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

CID sources revealed that the building's illegal expansion and lack of proper fire safety measures created a death trap. Many victims attempted to reach the rooftop but found their escape route blocked by the unauthorized duplex construction. Others tried to use staircases that were obstructed by stored materials.