It has been a month since the devastating Chawkbazar fire that took the life of 70 people, and even during this time, police and investigators alike claim they have zero information on the owners of Wahed Mansion - the house that fuelled most of the fire.
Many probe bodies found the fire had originated from the warehouse storing cosmetics, especially spray canisters, on the first floor of the Haji Wahed Mansion.
The fire service officials also found that the basement of the Haji Wahed Mansion – the first building to catch fire in Chawkbazar – housed flammable material that could have fuelled greater explosions.
Similar stockpiles were found in adjacent multi-storey buildings.
Just after the fire, a case was filed accusing 14 people, including the two owners of the building – Md Hasan and Md Sohel alias Shahid.
Investigation officer of the case, Chawkbazar police station Inspector M Muradul Islam, said he has spoken to many people trying to track them down but nobody was able to provide any information.
The two brothers appeared at the High Court on March 11 where they were granted bail. The court directed them to surrender before the lower court within three weeks.
Deputy Attorney General Jahid Sarwar Kajal, who appeared at the hearing on behalf of the state at the High Court, confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune that both owners were present in the court during hearing.
“However, as the issue is still pending with the High Court we are planning to move the issue to the appellate division after the hearing of the case with HC is finished,” he added.
The Chawkbazar police station Officer-in-Charge, Shamim-ur-Rashid Talukder also said they have not been able to arrest any of the two owners, and are trying to find their whereabouts in or outside the country.
“We do not have any information on them. All we know is that they are out on bail,” he added.
