Addl DIG, MD among 8 killed in city garment factory fire

At least eight people, including a police official, were killed in a fire at a garment factory in Darussalam of Mirpur Wednesday night.

Five of them have been identified as BGMEA director and managing director of the factory Mahbubur Rahman, additional deputy inspector general (DIG) of Police Headquarters ZA Morshed, president of Comilla Uttara Zila Jubo League Sohel Mostafa Swapan, and the MD’s friends Syed Nasim Reza and Emdadul.

Identity of the other two deceased could not be known immediately.

The DIG’s bodies have been kept in Square Hospital. Bodies of Sohel and Emdadul have been kept at National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, while of Mahbubur’s at Apollo Hospital.

Fire fighters said most of them had been found on the staircase and all had died in suffocation.

The fire broke out at Tung Hai Sweater Ltd at about 11:05pm. All the units of the factory were closed then. According to fire-fighters the fire originated on the second floor of the 11-storey building.

The fire could not spread as 13 fire-fighting units from Mirpur and other areas reached the scene immediately. More fire fighting units joined them later and brought the fire under control at about 2am.

About 200 to 300 workers worked at the garment factory until 10:00pm. But the MD, his friends and some staffs were on the 9th floor when the fire broke out.

Sub-Inspector of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station Raju Ahmed confirmed the death of eight people.

He said DIG Morshed`s body was taken to his Gulshan residence, while Mahbubur Rahman`s body has been kept at Apollo Hospital morgue.

Bodies of the others except Ripon have already been handed over to their respective family members. Ripon`s body was taken to police custody. The body will be handed over to his family.

Tung Hai Sweater Ltd general manager Jamedur Rahman said a total of seven people were killed in the fire. All of them were holding at a meeting the 9th floor of the factory building.

He said DIG Morshed was a close friend of the MD. He went there to meet the MD.

It is learnt that DIG Morshed went to the factory in a Pajero jeep. His jeep was parked in front of the factory building. He was in plainclothes.

All the workers left the factory at about 7pm. At that time, Mahbubur Rahman and others were staying inside the factory.

A supervisor of the factory said a large number of female workers were working at the ground and first floors when the fire broke out. However, they managed to come out safely.

BGMEA president Atiqul Islam went to the factory at about 12.30pm.
He said the factory was closed from inside. "The incident of fire seems to be mysterious. We`ll investigate the matter."