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Published : 17 May 2026, 07:48 PM
Ramzanul Haque Nihad, managing director of Amin Mohammad Group, has withdrawn his surrender petition after initially seeking bail in connection with the Green Cozy Cottage fire that killed 46 people two years ago.
Adib Alam, the owner of the HAKKA DHAKA restaurant and another suspect in the case, on the other hand, was granted bail by Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasan Shahadat after surrendering to the court on Sunday.
The court granted Adib bail until May 19 upon a Tk 5,000 bond.
State Prosecutor Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon said the court had issued arrest warrants against 13 fugitives, including Nihad and Adib, on Apr 19 after accepting the chargesheet against 22 individuals.
Moving the bail petition for Adib, lawyer Hadiuzzaman argued that his client was not the owner of the HAKKA DHAKA branch inside the ill-fated Bailey Road building.
"He owns two outlets in Tejgaon and Satmasjid Road in Mohammadpur. There are no specific allegations against him, and he will not abscond if granted bail," the lawyer said.
Defending Nihad, lawyer Anwar Zahid Bhuiyan said his client was the developer of the building and had handed over the property back in 2015.
"He had even issued warning notices to the building owners on the use of gas cylinders. Furthermore, he was in Malaysia when the fire broke out," the counsel argued.
Prosecutor Sumon strongly opposed the bail pleas, describing the incident as a horrific tragedy born out of a coordinated negligence.
"The main gate of the Kacchi Bhai restaurant was deliberately locked when the fire broke out just to prevent customers from leaving without paying the bill. Many trapped inside died from inhaling smoke," Sumon told the court, demanding that both accused be sent to jail.
When the defence argued that several other suspects in the case were already out on bail, the prosecutor countered, saying: "Those who are on bail secured it only after serving time in prison."
The multi-storey Green Cozy Cottage on Bailey Road was devastated by a massive fire on Feb 29, 2024, around 9:45 pm.
The blaze claimed the lives of 46 people -- including 20 men, 18 women, and eight children -- while 75 others were rescued alive.
Following the incident, Ramna Model Police Station Sub-Inspector Mohammad Shahidul Islam filed a case, which was later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
CID Inspector Shahajalal Munshi submitted the formal chargesheet on Apr 2.
