Families were promised compensation after deadly Siddique Bazar blast. They’ve got nothing

A family member of a victim has voiced concerns about possible misappropriation of the allocated funds

The government's pledged compensation for families affected by the Siddique Bazar explosion in Dhaka’s Gulistan has remained undistributed over a year after 26 deaths in the tragedy.

Many of them were the primary or sole breadwinners for their families, who are in dire financial straits now.

In the aftermath of the Mar 7 blast in 2023, the Ministry of Labour announced Tk 200,000 for each dead victim's family and Tk 50,000 for the injured.

The families submitted the necessary papers to claim the compensation, but there has been no updates on the applications.

A family member of a victim suspects officials have embezzled the funds.

Their attempts to inquire about the matter failed as no official from the ministry spoke about the delay in the distribution of the compensation.

Officials redirected the family members to others, or promised to look into the issue "tomorrow or the day after" in what looked like a never-ending cycle.

Aktarul Islam, the ministry’s spokesperson at that time, had informed the media about the compensation.

He has since been transferred, and his successor AKM Ferdous said he was unaware of the compensation.

Others contacted by bdnews24.com also lacked information on the issue.

NO COMPENSATION

The explosion resulted in the collapse of the first two floors of the seven-storey Cafe Queen building, which housed several sanitary goods shops and commercial offices at 180/1 North South Road.

Residential flats were situated on the upper levels of the building.

Apart from the employees of the shops, passengers and pedestrians on the road outside the building suffered casualties. On the day of the incident, rescuers recovered 17 bodies from the rubble.

The death toll increased as more bodies were discovered in subsequent search operations, and some individuals succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment in hospitals.

Among the casualties of the incident, multiple members of the same family lost their lives. They include a couple, two brothers from two separate families, and two cousins from another family. So, the total number of affected families amounts to 22.

bdnews24.com contacted eight of these families, who reported receiving only Tk 50,000 for burial expenses during the transfer of bodies..

Two of these families were asked by the labour ministry to submit documents for the compensation, but the process stalled.

When they tried to follow up, they were told to call later. The five other families were not contacted at all.

MINISTRY'S SILENCE

A 15-year-old boy and his 12-year-old sister were orphaned after their father, Mominul Islam, and mother, Nodi Begum, lost their lives in the blast.

They reside in the Islambagh area of Chawkbazar and are currently being cared for by their elderly grandparents.

Their uncle, Joynal Abedin, said Mominul ran a CCTV camera business, and the family also relied on the income from house rent.

Their lives have become hard, especially since their grandparents are old.

Following the immediate grant of Tk 100,000 for the couple’s burial, on Mar 9, 2023, the ministry contacted them and requested additional documents, including national identity cards. They were informed that Tk 200,000 would be provided for each, totalling Tk 400,000.

A woman collected all the documents, and in the nearly 14 months afterwards, they have received no further communication.

Despite numerous attempts to contact the authorities, they have been met with responses such as "I'm busy." and "There's someone more important to attend to.”.

Joynal said they had been in touch with another family affected by the blast, and that family were in a similar situation – after submitting the required documents, they received no words or financial assistance.

FRAUD SUSPECTED

Victim Mansur Hossain left behind his wife and a child.

Murad Hossain Milon, his wife’s brother-in-law, finds it hard to convey the depth of her plight, especially with a young child.

After the delay in compensation, Murad suspects foul play and misappropriation of the compensation funds.

He criticised the ministry for not being transparent and mentioned many failed attempts to get help.

Murad believes that if the funds for the victims' families were not given out, they might have been embezzled.

"We've visited the ministry numerous times on behalf of the market committee, but each time we were told the same thing – they simply stopped addressing the issue,” he said.

“I haven't seen any positive outcomes from the ministry. They haven't handled this matter transparently for the workers. If the allocated money was indeed provided and yet the families of the deceased didn't receive it, then it's likely it was distributed elsewhere."

WHERE TO SEEK FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE?

Another victim, Idris Mir, worked as a three-wheeler driver for a shop named Azad Sanitary.

He left behind two sons, with Rifat, identified with a single name, being the eldest.

Rifat, who only completed his higher secondary education, is now the main provider for the family, as his younger brother is still in second grade and not yet able to fully comprehend the situation.

Following his father's death, Rifat was unable to pursue further education and had to take a job in a private company in Jatrabari to support his family.

Despite hearing about the promised compensation of Tk 200,000 from a news article on bdnews24.com a year ago, Rifat never received any communication from the labour ministry.

With the burden of supporting his family thrust upon him unexpectedly, Rifat has made several attempts over the past year to inquire about the promised compensation but has received no assistance.

When asked if he sought help from the ministry directly, Rifat expressed uncertainty about where to begin.

He approached the market owner association first, and received Tk 30,000 from the association.

However, despite assurances of further assistance, Rifat has yet to receive any additional support from either the association or the ministry.

When Rifat attempted to follow up with the association, he was met with unhelpful responses, leaving him still waiting for the promised assistance.

Humayun Kabir Khan, a cousin of victim Ishaq Mridha, said they received Tk 50,000 for the burial arrangements. Then, after 15 to 20 days, the ministry called and promised a compensation of Tk 200,000. “However, they never followed up on it," Humayun said.

When asked if he reached out for assistance, he said: "Where should I apply? No one directed us to apply anywhere."

Ishaq is survived by his wife and two children, with the eldest son being 8 years old and having physical disabilities.

The family are managing with the little savings Ishaq left behind for them.

NO CALLS RECEIVED

The family of victim Md Ismail, who used to run a small factory, have not heard anything about compensation, and their relatives are unaware too.

His brother Abdul Kuddus said, "I'm not sure if anyone got the money. My father passed away two years before my brother. My brother was our family's main support, and after he died, I had to take over."

When asked about the family's situation, he said: "My brother left behind four young boys. The oldest is in a madrasa, and the others are in school. My sister-in-law is struggling with them. The compensation money would help a lot."

Al Amin, a BBA student, died in the blast while shopping at Siddique Bazar. His brother, Habibur Rahman, expected a call after reading about the compensation, but did not get one.

Rahat Hossain, a shop assistant, went to the Sundarbans Courier Service office to collect a parcel for the owner but never returned.

After hearing about the explosion, his relatives searched for him at the scene but could not find his body.

Eventually, Rahat's brother, Rakibul Hasan, identified his body at the morgue at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

"We haven't received any compensation from the labour ministry," Rakibul said.

Two brothers, Abu Jafar Siddique Tareq and Awlad Hossain Musa from Baluakandi village in Munshiganj’s Gazaria Upazila, were also killed in the incident.

Jafar died immediately, while Musa passed away in the hospital the next day. They had gone to the market to buy household items.

Both brothers had lost their fathers before. Their mother, already grieving for her husband, was devastated after losing two sons at once.

Now, she has a son and a daughter to care for, but there is no one else to support them financially.

Their cousin Rashedul Hasan said they received Tk 50,000 for Siddique's burial on the same day and Musa's burial money 15 days later.

“We are unaware that we were entitled to receive Tk 200,000 as compensation. We didn't even get a call from the ministry."

MINISTRY UNAWARE

When asked about the compensation, AKM Ferdous, the ministry's spokesperson, said, "I'm new here, so I don't know."

Hajera Khatun, a joint secretary at the ministry, also claimed she was unaware of the issue.

Mohammad Hossain Sarkar, another joint secretary, could not provide any information either.

He suggested contacting Mollah Jalal Uddin, the director general of the Workers Welfare Foundation.

However, Jalal could not provide any information.

He asked to contact Abdur Rahim Khan, the inspector general of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.

Rahim said he needed more time to look into it.

Later, he recommended contacting Jalal again, who still could not provide any information.

IS TK 200,000 SUFFICIENT?

According to labour law, if someone dies in a workplace accident, they are entitled to receive Tk 500,000 in compensation, as stated by AQM Quader, a lawyer practising in Dhaka Judges’ Court and Labour Court.

Of this amount, the government is supposed to provide Tk 200,000, insurance companies Tk 200,000, and factory or establishment owners Tk 100,000.

In Bangladesh, factory or building owners often do not have insurance, resulting in the unavailability of the promised Tk 200,000.

Owners are required to provide Tk 100,000, but this provision may not apply to everyone in this case.

Furthermore, not all of those who lost their lives in Siddique Bazar were employed directly by the shops. Not all of them had appointment letters or workplace identity cards.

Idris Mir, who used to transport goods for some shops, was one of them.

Regarding people like Idris Mir, Lawyer Quader clarified, "They are commonly referred to as loaders and may not consistently carry identification. In such instances, special considerations can be taken into account. If they (the victim’s family) apply, they may receive compensation from a humanitarian perspective."

When asked where to apply, he suggested submitting a notice to the labour department or applying to the health department of the Ministry of Labour, which operates at the secretariat.

Faruq Faisel, the executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra, a legal aid and human rights organisation, said such incidents are frequent in Bangladesh but they must not continue as they lead to loss of life and leave families in distress.

He further highlighted that when government support is promised but not delivered later, it causes even more suffering for those affected.

Failing to properly enforce the country's laws can erode trust in the legal system, he said.

Therefore, it is important to address these issues promptly to prevent further distress among the people, he added.

INVESTIGATION STALLED

The families search for answers after the incident also failed as the investigation into the explosion caused by a gas line leak has been ongoing for over a year, but is not finished yet.

SM Raisul Islam, an inspector from the police’s bomb disposal unit and the investigation officer for the case, said that the investigation has been delayed due to the 'non-cooperation' of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company.

Following the blast, a case of unnatural death was filed. A day after the incident three people were detained. They are brothers Wahidur Rahman, 47, and Matiur Rahman, 36, who owned the building, along with Abdul Motaleb Mintu, 37, a sanitary dealer operating in the building's basement.

On Mar 14, the three detainees were formally arrested in a case of 'death due to negligence of duty'.

However, they were granted bail shortly afterwards, and they remain out on bail to this day.

Investigation officer Raisul said, "We have confirmation that the explosion originated from the gas line.

“The building was originally a tin-shed structure housing a restaurant. At that time, the landowner, who has since passed away (the father of Wahidur and Matiur), installed a commercial gas line for the restaurant."

He continued, "The tin-shed building was demolished, and a five-storey building was constructed in its place. The ground floor housed the Cafe Queen restaurant, which still utilised commercial gas lines.

“After the restaurant was replaced by various businesses, the commercial gas line was decommissioned, and permission was obtained to install a residential gas line."

Raisul explained that when the property owner requested Titas Gas to install the residential gas line, a contractor was appointed to carry out the task.

The contractor, listed by the state-run gas distributor, connected the residential gas line but left the commercial line intact.

"The speed at which gas flows through residential lines differs from that of commercial lines. The explosion occurred because the gas line pipe was not replaced over time. Titas Gas and their contractor company bear significant responsibility for the accident," said the investigation officer.

He mentioned that a letter requesting the name of the contractor firm responsible for replacing the line in 2002 was sent to Titas Gas. However, Titas Gas failed to provide this information.

The court instructed Titas Gas to disclose information about the contractor, but they have not done so yet.

Raisul said, "Identifying the contractor company hired by Titas Gas and the individuals working there at the time will help determine who is responsible for the explosion. This will expedite the investigation's completion and the filing of charges."

[Writing in English by Arshi Fatiha Quazi; editing by Osham-ul-Sufian Talukder]