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  

The fire on the 5th and 6th floors is still not under control, and so rescue workers have not been able to go in yet. Earlier, 3 deaths were confirmed by the authorities of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) and US Bangla Medical College and Hospital Rupganj. They are thought to have jumped to their deaths trying to escape the fire on Thursday night.

Factory Manager (Administration) Kazi Rafiqul Islam said most of the units of the factory were closed due to the pandemic. A few sections were opened. Multiple floors of the building were used as godowns.However, he could not say who locked the collapsible gate during the incident.

Lieutenant Colonel Zillur Rahman, director of the fire service, said rescue work was hampered as the collapsible gate of the building was locked. "If it had not been locked, there would not have been so many deaths," he said.

Sajeeb Group chairman Md Abul Hashem has gone on the media and in effect denied all responsibility for the disaster in his factory.

Also Read: Rupganj factory fire still raging; 3 killed

But according to Chapter 4 of the Bangladesh National Building Code, all buildings constructed for human occupancy or storage must be provided with "adequate exit facilities to permit safe and quick unaided escape of the occupants in the event of fire or other emergency." Used stairways or lifts cannot be regarded as an emergency exit. Paragraph 3.3.5 of the same chapter provides that the owner of the building shall be responsible for the safety of all occupants.

According to the information gathered from relatives, 45 workers are still missing. Most of the workers in the factory were juveniles.

A five-member probe committee has been formed to investigate the fire.Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Mostain Billah has announced assistance of Tk 25,000 to each family of the deceased and Tk 10,000 for the treatment of the injured from the funds of the district administration.

Besides, on behalf of the factory owner, Textiles and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi Bir Pratik will make arrangements for 'compensation' to the victims.