Tung Hai fire is act of sabotage: BGMEA

The Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) suspects the fire at Tung Hai Sweater Factory at the capital’s Mirpur was an act of sabotage.

“We think this was an act of sabotage. We want proper investigation into this incident,” said BGMEA President Atiqul Islam on Thursday.

The factory’s Managing Director Mahbubur Rahman, who was also a Director of BGMEA, died in the fire that started just before Wednesday midnight.

Seven other casualties were identified as --- Additional Deputy Inspector General of Police ZA Morshed, Rahman’s three friends – Comilla district Juba League leaders Sohel Mostafa Swapan, Emdadur Rahman Badal and Syed Nasim Reza, the DIG’s body guard Ripon Chakma, Tung Hai Office Assistant Sahabuddin and another person, identified as a painter, who died later at Square Hospital.

The BGMEA President had also visited the scene in the wee hours of Thursday.

Asked why the suspicion of sabotage, he told reporters later, “The factory was closed. All air-conditioning units, fans and machines were switched off.”

“That means most of the electrical switches in the factory were off. The possibility of the fire being ignited by an electrical short-circuit is very low,” Islam stressed.

BGMEA leaders claimed that the factory had first-rate fire safety mechanism.

When asked from where the fire might have started, Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Ali Ahmed Khan told bdnews24.com: “We are yet to find the cause of the fire. We’ll be able to say that after the investigation.”

Fire Service officials said they did not know that several people were trapped inside the building when they were trying to douse the fire.

Ali Ahmed said, “We were working based on the information the locals gave us. Those who were present at the scene had told us that there was no-one inside the building. But later, others said people were trapped inside.”

MD Mahbubur Rahman was planning to seek nomination from the Awami League from Comilla’s Homna constituency in the next parliamentary elections. He has been holding meetings with local leaders as a part of his preparation.

Asked what Rahman was doing with a high-level police official and Juba League leaders in the factory at night, Atiqul Islam said, “It’s not possible to know what everyone is doing all the time. But I do know that some of those killed in the fire with (him) were his close friends.”

Islam was speaking with the journalists at the BGMEA office at Karwan Bazar where Rahman’s body was taken on Thursday afternoon for a Namaj-e-Janaza.

Hundreds of owners of garment factories attended the funeral prayers. State Minister for Labour and Employment Monnujan Sufian was also present.

Apart from Tung Hai Sweaters Limited, Mahbubur Rahman was also the Managing Director of Tung Hai Knitting and Dyeing Limited, NS Sweaters Limited and Agrani Sweaters Limited.

He was also the Chairman of Tung Hai Knit Fashions Limited and the Director of Agrani Insurance Company Limited.