The mobile court of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) on Wednesday fined six restaurants around Tk 9 lakh for various irregularities and fire safety violations.
Two separate drives were conducted in Gulshan and Khilgaon areas on the third day after 46 people died in a devastating fire at a building in Dhaka’s Bailey Road area.
Rajuk's executive magistrate Kamrul Islam conducted the raid on a 14-storey building at 25/B in Khilgaon which has housed Domino's Pizza, KFC, Secret Recipes, Crimson Cup, and Al-Kaderia Party Centre. The court asked the building owner to show necessary documents.
However, the court found that the building was approved for commercial use. The owner did not take permission for operating restaurants.
We have not fined the owner as he has confessed that he was unaware of the regulations,” Kamrul said.
Later, the court inspected three restaurants--Domino's Pizza, KFC, and AL Kaderia Party Centre and fined them Tk 2 lakh each as they failed to show necessary documents, he added.
The executive magistrate further said that in addition to the fine, the three eateries were given one month to fix necessary documents.
Later, the team members visited China Town Restaurant next to the building.
"The eatery could not show fire service licence. There was an emergency exit in the restaurant, but there was no sign to indicate it. For these reasons, we have fined the restaurant Tk 1 lakh," he said.
However, DNCC has declared two commercial buildings in Gulshan-2 'risky', due to lack of fire safety measures.
During a drive conducted by the DNCC mobile court on Wednesday morning, both the six-storey and seven-storey buildings were marked by hanging cautionary banners for potential danger they pose in terms of fire hazards.
DNCC Zone-3 Executive Magistrate Zulkar Nayan led the mobile court. He was accompanied by the corporation's Executive Magistrate Mahmudul Hasan and officials from the Fire Service and Civil Defence.
Earlier on the day, the mobile court fined Kachchi Bhai restaurant, located in Gulshan-2, Tk 1 lakh for not taking fire safety measures and operating without permission from relevant agencies. Apart from this, another restaurant named Dhansiri was fined Tk 40,000 for failing to adhere to fire safety regulations and not having relevant permissions.
A fine of Tk 50,000 was imposed for storing goods on the stairs in front of a house, located at holding number 34.
On the other hand, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in three days from March 3 to March 5 has conducted 1,347 raids on different hotels and restaurants, gas cylinder shops and chemical go-downs, according to the DMP’s media and public relations department.
It said that 1,132 hotels and restaurants, 207 gas cylinder shops and eight chemical go-downs were raided during the period. Besides, 20 cases were filed while 872 people were arrested.
