Narayanganj police arrested eight people, including the chairman of Sajeeb Group, his four sons and the CEO of the group, on Saturday (July 10, 2021) in connection with the fire in a juice factory belonging to the Group in Rupganj that left 52 people dead.

The arrestees are Md Abul Hashem chairman of the group, 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.

Read Rupganj fire: Sajeeb Group chairman, sons among 8 put on remand

Superintendent of Police in the district Md Zaidul Alam told UNB that the arrested eight people will be produced before the district court later in the day.

Earlier, police filed a case with Rupganj police station against the eight people and many unknown others following the massive fire in the factory, he said.

READ: Rupganj factory: Legal action against owner if negligence found, warns State Minister

Group CEO Shahan Sha Azad was arrested from the company’s head office in the capital’s Farmgate area, while Chairman Hashem from his Gulshan residence, SP Zaidul Alam said.

The devastating fire that swept through the seven-storey building housing the juice factory of Hashem Foods Ltd at Bhulta Karnagop in Rupganj, Narayanganj broke out around 5 pm on Thursday.

Read Narayanganj fire: India, Canada deeply saddened by loss of lives

According to the fire service, huge amount of plastic and packaging materials in the building fueled 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.

READ: Rupganj factory fire: Fire Service forms 5-member probe body

It took around 27 hours for 18 firefighting units to douse the fire completely as at some floors huge amounts of inflammable substances were stockpiled.

On Friday noon, after breaking the locked door of the fourth floor, firefighters discovered rows of bodies burnt to ashes.  

Read Rupganj factory fire: Claimants found for 40 bodies out of 48, after 56 families submit DNA samples

Firefighters 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 burnt to black.

Earlier, three deaths from the accident were confirmed by the authorities of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital and US Bangla Medical College and Hospital, Rupganj on Thursday.

Read Death toll from Rupganj factory fire jumps to 52  

So far, three probe bodies have been formed to investigate the incident.