DMCH
Rupganj factory fire: Tk 50,000 medical assistance provided to injured
The injured workers undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital in connection with the massive factory fire in Rupganj were given medical assistance of Tk 50,000 from the Bangladesh Workers Welfare Foundation fund under the Ministry of Labor and Employment on Saturday.
Today, the secretary of the ministry KM Abdus Salam handed over a check of Tk 50,000 for medical aid to each of the three workers undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
A total of Tk 11 lakh has been handed over to 22 injured workers including those undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College and a private hospital in Rupganj.
Besides, Tk 2 lac will be provided to the deceased upon confirming their identities, KM Abdus Salam told reporters.
Earlier on Friday, State Minister for Labor and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian pledged that Legal action will be taken against the owners of the Rupganj factory where over 50 workers died in a fire, if there is evidence of their negligence.
Also read: Locked inside a factory without fire exit, 52 lives go up in flames
It is when she said that the family of the deceased would be provided with Tk 2 lac and the injured Tk 50,000 tomorrow from the Bangladesh Workers Welfare Foundation fund under the labor ministry.
Earlier on Saturday, police arrested Md Abul Hashem, chairman of the group Sajeeb Group that owns the factory, his four sons -- Hashem Bin Hashem, Tareq Ibrahim, Tawsib Ibrahim and Tanjim Ibrahim-- and its CEO Shahan Sha Azad, DGM Mamunur Rashid and head of admin Salauddin.
The eight will be produced before court later in the day, said Superintendent of Police (Narayanganj) Md Zaidul Alam.
So far 52 workers, some of them reportedly teen-aged boys and girls, were killed in the devastating fire that tore through the seven-story factory that produced foods and beverages such as juice, cold drinks, toast biscuits and laccha semai.
According to the fire service, huge amount of plastic and packaging materials in the building may have fuelled the fire in just a few minutes after it broke out.
They said the blocked door at the factory’s staircase has caused so many deaths that could have been avoided.
Also read: Rupganj factory fire: Sajeeb Group chairman, 4 sons, CEO among 8 arrested
It took around 27 hours for 18 fire fighting units to douse the blaze completely as at some floors huge amounts of inflammable substances were stockpiled.
On Friday noon, after breaking the locked door of the fourth floor, fire fighters discovered rows of bodies burnt to ashes.
Fire fighters recovered 49 bodies from the floor and sent them to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital’s morgue, which took the death toll to 52 from the tragic incident. None of the 49 bodies could be identified yet as they have completely been charred.
Three others died from injuries after jumping off the building on Thursday.
Trapped in a building with no fire exit and gates locked, workers were burned to a pulp
Fire fighters have still not managed to extinguish the fire in a seven-storey factory of Hashem Foods Ltd, a subsidiary of the Sajeeb Group, in Bhulta of Rupganj, more than 24 hours after it first broke out on Thursday evening. The confirmed death toll till filing of this report stands at 52, and is expected to rise.
As more details emerged of the catastrophe, it became clear that the workers were left with no chance in the face of the raging inferno, that has been further fuelled by combustible items such as ghee, butter, oil and polybags stored on each floor.
Even so, the workers may have had a chance at escape, if only the building code had been maintained to provide an emergency exit, or the management had not implemented the medieval practice of locking the gates of the factory floors, that carried undertones of the horrific Tazreen Garments fire in 2012 that killed at least 112.
Deputy Director of the Fire Service Debashish Bardhan confirmed to UNB that rescue workers had to literally break down the locked collapsible gate on the building's 4th floor to go in and recover the bodies. That is where they found 49 of the bodies, burnt to a pulp overnight on the factory floor.
None of the bodies were in a recognisable state. Narayanganj Additional Deputy Commissioner (Overall) Shamim Bepari said they would be handed over to their relatives after DNA testing to identify them. They have already been sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for autopsy and DNA test.
Also read: Death toll from Rupganj factory fire jumps to 52
Death toll from Rupganj factory fire jumps to 52
The death toll from the factory fire at Rupganj, Narayanganj jumped to 52 as firefighters started tallying fatalities in the massive blaze.
“At least 49 bodies have been recovered from the debris of the building during the search operation,” said Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy assistant director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence in Narayanganj district.
Earlier, 3 deaths from the accident were confirmed by the authorities of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) and US Bangla Medical College and Hospital Rupganj.
With the fresh ones, the death toll from the fire touched 52, said the UNB correspondent in Narayanganj.
Read: 6 of family hurt in Chattogram as cylinder leak causes fire
The massive fire that swept through the six-storey building housing a juice factory of Hashem Foods Ltd at Bhulta Karnagop in Rupganj, Narayanganj broke out at 5 pm on Thursday.
Rupganj factory fire still raging; 3 killed
At least three people were killed and 25 others injured as a massive fire broke out at Shezan Juice Factory of Hashem Foods Ltd in Bhulta Karnagop area of Rupganj in Narayanganj on Thursday.
Immediately after the incident, two deceased were identified as factory workers Mina Akhter, 40, and Shapna Rani.
Later, another worker, Mursalin, 22, who jumped from the 3rd floor, succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) around 11pm.
The fire broke out at the 7-storey building around 5 pm Thursday, and 18 units of firefighters were still struggling to contain it, said duty officer of the fire service control room Kamrul Ahsan.
Also read: Moghbazar blast: Death toll climbs to 8, fire service confirms 3
Ten of the injured were sent to the DMCH and 16 admitted to Rupganj US Bangla Medical College and Hospital, said the hospital authorities.
Md Shahadat Hossain, a duty doctor of the US Bangla Medical College, confirmed the deaths of two workers.
Some of the injured admitted to the DMCH was identified as Nahid, 23, Monjurul Islam, 25, Mohasin Hossain, 32, Abu Bakar Siddique, 40, Amena Begum, 32, Fatema Akhter, 23, Mohasin, 27 and Mazeda, 28.
Bachchu Mia, inspector in-charge of DMCH police camp, said three of the injured were shifted to DMCH's Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute as they were having breathing problems caused by smoke.
Also read: 18 die in India chemical factory fire
Abu Bakar Siddique, one of the injured, said, “We sustained injuries as we jumped in a hurry to get out of the building.”
The number of injured and deceased may rise as seven to eight thousand workers were working inside the factory, he said.
Deputy Director of Narayanganj fire service Md Abdul Al Arefin said they heard that the fire broke out during a welding accident. “An investigation is needed to find out the reason to know actually what caused the fire", he said.
Moghbazar blast: Death toll rises to 11
The death toll from Sunday's Moghbazar building blast rose to 11 as another man succumbed to his burn injuries at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Thursday noon.
The deceased was identified as Md Russell, 21, son of Jasim Uddin, an employee of Bengal Meat, hailing from Thakurgaon district.
Russell sustained 90 percent burns in the explosion on June 27 and since then he had been undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery of the DMCH.
Read: Moghbazar blast: Death toll rises to nine
He breathed his last around 2:15 pm today, said Dr Partha Shankar Pal, resident medical officer of the hospital.
His body has been kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy, said Md Bachchu Mia, police inspector at the DMCH police camp.
Earlier in the day, Mohammad Nur Nabi, 30, a van-puller, died while undergoing treatment at the same hospital.
On Sunday evening, seven people were killed and more than 66 others injured after a powerful explosion ripped through a building near Moghbazar Wireless Gate.
On Tuesday, firefighters pulled out the body of a 65-year-old security guard from the debris of a three-storey building where the deadly blast occurred.
Read:Moghbazar blast: Another body found in debris; death toll stands at 8
Besides, another victim, Imran Hossain, succumbed to his injuries at the burn unit of the hospital on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, police formed a seven-member committee to investigate the blast.
The committee has been asked to investigate the explosion and recommend prevention of such incidents in the future. It will also coordinate with the committee formed by the Fire Service and Civil Defence.
Both the committees have seven working days to submit their reports.
Read:Moghbazar blast: Police file case against unknown persons
Moghbazar blast: Death toll rises to nine
The death toll from Sunday's Moghbazar building blast rose to nine as one more person succumbed to his burn injuries at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) early on Wednesday.
The deceased was identified as Imran Hossain, 25, an employee of Bengal Meat, and son of Abdul Mujib Bhuiya of Sadar upazila in Tangail district.
Read:Moghbazar blast: Another body found in debris; death toll stands at 8
Imran sustained 90 percent burns in the explosion on June 27 and since then he had been undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
He breathed his last around 6am on Wednesday, said Bachchu Mia, inspector of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital police outpost.
On Tuesday, firefighters pulled out the body of a 65-year-old security guard from the debris of a three-storey building where the deadly blast occurred.
The body of security guard Harun-ur-Rashid was recovered around 3.30 pm, the deputy director (operations) of Fire Service and Civil Defence, Debashish Bardhan, had said.
Earlier that day, police lodged a case against unidentified persons for causing death due to negligence in connection with the blast.
Read:Moghbazar blast: Police file case against unknown persons
An FIR in the case was filed at the Ramna police station on a complaint by sub-inspector Rezzaul Karim, Officer-in-charge Monirul Islam told UNB.
Eight people were killed and more than 66 others injured after a powerful explosion ripped through a building near Moghbazar Wireless Gate on Sunday evening.
The next day, police formed a seven-member committee to investigate the blast.
Additional police commissioner of Counter Terrorism and Transnationals Crime (CTTC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) will head the committee, the Bangladesh Police Headquarters said in a release on Monday.
The committee has been asked to investigate the explosion and recommend prevention of such incidents in future. It will also coordinate with the committee formed by the Fire Service and Civil Defence, said the release.
Read:Police announce committee to probe the Moghbazar explosion
Earlier that day, Brig. Gen. Md Sazzad Hussain, director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence, said that they had formed a five-member committee to investigate the explosion.
Both the committees have seven working days to submit their reports.
Black fungus detected in patient at DMCH
A patient was diagnosed with black fungus at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Monday, the chief of the public hospital said.
DMCH Director Brig Gen Dr Nazmul Haque said, "The patient had post-Covid symptoms and was diagnosed with black fungus after undergoing surgery."
This was the third black fungus case detected in the capital and the first at DMCH.
Also read: Steps underway to tackle black fungus: Health Minister
The 45-year-old patient from Khulna was admitted to DMCH a week ago with post-Covid-19 complications.
After a recent surgery, the doctors suspected black fungus in his body. They confirmed it after testing samples collected from the patient.
On May 25, the first two cases of black fungus or mucormycosis were detected at the capital's Birdem General Hospital in patients who recovered from Covid-19.
Also read: Bangladesh reports two ‘black fungus’ cases, one suspected death
Black fungus, a rare infection, has a mortality rate of 50% "with some only saved by removing an eye." The fungus affects areas of the body including the eyes, nose, face, lungs, and even the brain in severe cases.
However, in recent months, India, whose states have been told to declare the disease an epidemic, saw thousands of cases affecting recovered and recovering Covid-19 patients, according to BBC reports.
Also read: Focus on black fungus as it adds to woes, says DGHS
icddr,b donates essential medical supplies to DMCH for treating critically ill COVID patients
The icddr,b handed over essential supplies containing medical equipment and medicine to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for the treatment of critical COVID-19 patients on Wednesday.
This is part of a grant agreement between icddr,b and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to strengthen icddr,b Dhaka Hospital’s capacity to provide COVID-19 treatment to its staff, and also supporting a healthcare facility serving underprivileged people in Dhaka city.
The medical supplies comprised of three units of High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC), 20 units of HFNC accessories, three units of patient monitor, 170 vials of broad-spectrum antiviral medication Remdesivir, and 100 vials of anticoagulant injection, all of which are aimed at reinforcing DMCH’s COVID-19 response.
The handover ceremony took place at DMCH and was attended by icddr,b’s Head, Hospitals Dr Baharul Alam and Brigadier General Md Nazmul Haque, Director, DMCH.
Dr Alam said, “The coronavirus pandemic has led to strained healthcare systems not only in Bangladesh but around the world. Many thanks to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation for extending their support in strengthening our capacities in treating more patients with quality care.
“I am also thankful to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for the support it provides by treating referral patients requiring multidisciplinary care sent from icddr,b Dhaka Hospital,” he added.
Brig Gen Haque said, “icddr,b and Dhaka Medical College Hospital have close cooperation in relation to patient care. We are grateful for the generosity of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and icddr,b for their support of live-saving equipment and medicines. These will certainly boost our treatment effort by many folds.”
Dr Alauddin Al-Azad, Deputy Director, Dr Md Khalequzzaman Khan, Deputy Director, Dr Md Ashraful Alam, Assistant Director, Dr Halima Sultana Haque, Assistant Director, Dr Ashrafun Nahar, Assistant Director, Dr Md Saad Ullah, Senior Store Officer of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Shihab Uddin Ahmed, Senior Manager, Hospital, of icddr,b were also present at the handover ceremony.
Rickshaw puller killed in city road crash
A rickshaw puller was killed as a speeding car hit his rickshaw on Basabo flyover in the capital's Sabujbagh on Wednesday morning.
The identity of the deceased, aged about 35, could not be ascertained yet.
Also read: SUST student killed in Sylhet road crash
When a speeding car hit the rickshaw its puller fell on the road in the morning, said a witness of the incident.
He was rushed to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead by a doctor at around 5.30 am.
Also read: 4 of a family among 5 killed in Sylhet road crash
Mohammad Bachchu Mia, in-charge (inspector) of the police camp at DMCH confirmed the death and said the body has been kept at the morgue of the hospital for an autopsy.
Uttara stabbing: ISP worker killed in 'merciless' attack by friends
A 24-year-old man was "mercilessly" stabbed to death apparently by his friends in Dhaka's Uttara Sunday, while another was seriously injured in the attack.
Shakil Hossain, 24, suffered serious wounds and was declared dead at 10:30pm after being referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) from one in Uttara.
The injured was identified as Shagor, 23. He is undergoing treatment at an Uttara hospital, Bachchu Miah, in-charge of DMCH police outpost, confirmed.
The 24-year-old man was from Dakshinkhan and would live with his family. He was the second of three siblings.
Also Read:Bangladeshi man stabbed to death in Malaysia
"As the doctor's confirmed Shakil's death, his relatives forcibly took away his body. I have informed the concerned police station about this," Bachchu said.
Shahadat Hossain, the deceased's brother, said: "Shakil worked for an internet service provider (ISP). His friend Sabbir, who invited him for evening snacks, had a murder plan ready."
Shakil's friend Zubair said, "Shakil had fallen out with his friend Bhuiyan Sabbir Saturday over an issue. However, he went to Abdullahpur Sunday with his girlfriend and another friend Shagor at the invitation of Sabbir. When they arrived there, Sabbir told Shakil that Shagor was not invited. Next, he asked Shagor and Shakil's girlfriend to wait and took Shakil to a nearby place, using the pretext of having a private talk."
"This is when Sabbir, Shamim, Shikder, Mridul and a few others started stabbing Shakil repeatedly. As Shagor rushed to the spot hearing Shakil scream, they attacked him too and fled leaving him injured," Zubair added.