37 arrested over fire safety irregularities in Dhaka restaurants

Officers from Dhanmondi Police Station make the highest number of arrests

Dresses hang in the fire exit of Keari Crescent Plaza in Dhanmondi. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Police have arrested 37 people in a crackdown on fire safety irregularities in the eateries of Dhaka after the deaths of 46 people in a fire at a restaurant building on Bailey Road.

The law enforcers conducted the drives on nearly 50 restaurants in Dhanmondi, Mirpur and Uttara for several hours until 11pm on Sunday.

Parvez Islam, chief of Dhanmondi Police Station, said they arrested 19 people in the drives on 22 restaurants.

In Mirpur, 12 people were arrested in six restaurants, said local police station chief Munsi Sabbir Ahmed.

Gulshan Police Station chief said they did not make any arrest as there were no ‘major irregularities’ in the restaurants of the area.

“We alerted everyone so that they use gas cylinders carefully and follow the rules,” he said.

Uttara East Police Station chief Mojibur Rahman and Uttara West Police Station chief Abul Hasan said they arrested three people in each of the areas.

Most of the restaurants were warned against irregularities, said Abul Hasan.

The officers said the restaurants where they made the arrests were also closed down for now.