Chunnu, Rezaul want govt to take responsibility for Bailey Road fire

Jatiya Party lawmaker and opposition chief whip Mujibul Haque Chunnu on Saturday said the government needs to take responsibility for the fire incident on Bailey Road.

While taking part in a point of order in parliament, Chunnu vented his anger over the deadly fire incident in the city's Bailey Road saying that the government needs to be held accountable.

Former Livestock and Fisheries Minister Rezaul Karim demanded amendments to respective laws to try the perpetrators involved in such incidents under speedy tribunals.

Chunnu said that the people of the country pay taxes to run the government.

"It is the responsibility of the government to provide security to the citizens," he said.

He also said that construction of buildings requires permission from six agencies of the government.

"But there is no monitoring of the buildings after giving the permission," he alleged.

The opposition chief whip said that a building was built for one purpose, but used for another purpose.

"Who will take responsibility for the people who died at the Bailey road inferno? It is the responsibility of the government and the government offices.

Mujibul Haque said that after such an incident, the government says that an investigation will be conducted, and an investigation team is formed.

"But then there is no follow up. The country cannot continue like this. The government needs to be held accountable. The government needs to take responsibility."

Meanwhile, participating in the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the President's speech, SM Rezaul Karim told parliament that there are 15 restaurants in one building in the Satmasjid area of Dhanmondi although they have no permission.

"There are hundreds of restaurants in buildings on the road side of Road No. 27 in Dhanmondi but they have no permission. The situation is the same in different multi-storied buildings at Taltala in Khilgaon," he said.

Rezaul also apprehends that more such incidents will happen in future, if the government is not aware of this.

"I will ask the government to take responsibility and who is responsible for these, be it Rajuk, fire brigade, environment, take strict measures against them and make arrangements so that such incidents do not happen in the future."

He called upon the government to take stern actions against the persons involved in such deadly incidents so that any such incidents do not take place in future.

In 2019, 27 people died in the fire at Banani's FR Tower.

Pointing to the fire at Banani's FR Tower when he was the Housing and Public Works minister, he said, "We had investigated and filed a report against 62 people. Unfortunately, even after a high-level committee gave its report, cases were not filed against everyone. Names of many people have been dropped while giving the charge sheet."

Rezaul Karim demanded to amend respective laws to try the perpetrators under speedy tribunals.

Earlier, at the beginning of the session, the House expressed deep shock over the loss of lives in the fire at Bailey Road.