A legal notice has been sent demanding the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the death of 46 people in the fire at the Green Cozy Cottage building in the capital`s Bailey Road. At the same time, compensation of Tk 5 crore has been demanded for each of the victims in this incident.
On Sunday (March 3), Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Md. Solaiman Tushar sent this notice by post.
The notice has been sent by post to the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, the Director General of the Directorate of Fire Service and Civil Defence, the Chairman of RAJUK and the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka.
The notice said, Bailey Road is a busy area. Thousands of people visit here every day. Various classes of people including Supreme Court judges, lawyers, university teachers live in the residential areas of this road. The news of the fire incident in that building was disseminated in electronic and print media. It is said that the building where the fire broke out did not have permission to operate restaurants.
There was no fire protection system in the building. Three letters were issued to the building authority to alert them of the risk. However, no action was taken. According to the news, only eight stories were permitted for residential construction. It did not have a restaurant permit.
The notice said that the building authorities were warned three times but no effective action was taken. The building was not declared abandoned. As a result there is liability and failure of the authorities. The authorities cannot avoid their responsibility in any way.
It also stated that the fire and death of 46 people were caused by the authorities` failure to declare a vulnerable building abandoned and take proper action. The authorities cannot dodge their responsibilities in any way. A judicial commission is demanded to form for determining who was responsible for the fire incident.
Apart from that, the notice demanded that the deceased and injured victims of the tragic fire be identified and compensated with Tk 5 crore each. The notice sender is asked to report in writing what effective action was taken within five days of receiving the notification. Failure to take appropriate action will result in legal action, including the filing of a writ in the Supreme Court`s High Court Division.
In this regard, lawyer Solaiman Tushar said, "A fire broke out in the building on Bailey Road as a result of the failure of the notice receivers. The authorities have issued three warning notices to the building`s owner, but no effective action has been taken, and the building has not been declared abandoned."
He also said, "If appropriate action is not taken after receiving the notice, a judicial commission will be formed in the High Court department and a public interest writ will be filed to demand compensation."
