14 hours on, fire at looted, vandalised Gazi tyre factory still not under control

Fourteen hours have passed, but firefighters have yet to bring the fire at the Gazi tyre factory in Narayanganj under control. The arsonists reportedly set fire to the factory after looting and vandalising it.

A dozen units of firefighters have been attempting to tame the flames after arsonists set the factory owned by Awami League leader, former minister of textiles and jute, and Gazi Group Chairman Golam Dastagir Gazi ablaze in Rupganj's Tarabo Ruposhi area on Sunday.

The fire could not be controlled as of 11am on Monday, said Fakruddin, deputy assistant director of the Narayanganj Fire Service and Civil Defence.

As many as 12 units have been working to douse the fire at the time this report was filed. But no casualties were reported.

The factory houses a lot of plastic raw materials and flammable objects that made it difficult for the firefighters to douse the blaze, they said.

Police arrested Awami League leader, former minister of textiles and jute, and Gazi Group Chairman Golam Dastagir Gazi from Dhaka’s Shantinagar on Sunday. After his arrest, a group of people attacked the tyre factory and looted it

Earlier on Aug 5, when the Hasina government toppled following a mass uprising, two other factories owned by Gazi at Ruposhi and Karnagop were vandalised and torched.

"The Fire Service reached the scene at 11:40am and started to put out the fire. It's a factory that produces fires. The fire has spread all over the factory," said Fire Service and Civil Defence Director Lt Col Rezaul Karim.

“In addition, there were raw materials like rubber, plastic and other flammable objects for making tyres, which helped the fire spreading faster. At least 12 of our units are working."

Attackers vandalised and set ablaze the Gazi Group factory, alleges Saiful Islam, assistant general manager of the factory.

"On Sunday evening, a few hundred people divided into two groups stormed in the factory. Our workers were not able to block them. They looted the factory and set ablaze several buildings. The Fir Service still hasn’t been able to douse the fire," he said.

Saiful and other officials complained that police did not respond when they sought help,

"We called the police and other law enforcement agencies when they were looting the factory. A team of the army came near the gate but they stayed only for 10 minutes. Later, the Fire Service and other law enforcers came when the factory was torched," said Saiful.

A few attackers were present in the upper floors of a six-storey building when it was set ablaze. Now some people claim that their family members are trapped in that building.

"We already rescued 14 people who were trapped in the building. They aren't the workers of this factory but came to loot the goods. We can't say if anyone else is inside the building until we put out the fire,” said Fire Service officer Rezaul.