Ctg Islami Bank Hospital fined Tk 2 lakh

A mobile court has fined the Islami Bank Hospital in Chattogram city Tk 2 lakh for not having a fire safety plan.

A mobile court of the district administration on Monday afternoon issued the fine during a drive in the Agrabad and Patenga areas of the city.

At the time, it also fined a private company Tk 1 lakh for operating with an expired licence. Executive Magistrate Pratik Dutta led this team.

Meanwhile, another court led by Executive Magistrates Md Touhidul Islam and Jamshed Alam Rana carried out a drive and identified 1,200 shops at risk of catching fire between the New Market end and the Mahal Market end of the Zahur Hawkers’ Market.

These shops at Zahur Hawkers’ Market did not have any certification from the Fire Service or enough fire extinguishers. The magistrates ordered the market committee to install enough fire extinguishers at every shop within the next three working days.

They also ordered the committee to coordinate with Fire Service and Power Development Board and fix the market’s electrical lines and connections that Fire Service has identified as risky.

Zahur Hawkers’ Market had once caught fire in 2021. However, there has been no visible progress in the construction of the water reservoir that was recommended after that accident. The magistrates ordered the market committee to take immediate steps in that regard as well.

The market committee was also fined Tk 5,000 for creating a parking area on a space meant to be a fire assembly area and putting the entire establishment at risk.

The district administration on Monday had multiple mobile courts conduct drives at several markets, corporate areas and depots of chemical and petroleum goods in line with the Fire Prevention and Extinction Act 2003 to ensure safety.