A Narayanganj court  on Wednesday sent to jail six accused, including Abul Hashem, owner of Hashem Foods Ltd., on completion of a four-day remand in a case over last week’s devastating factory fire in Rupganj. Hashem two sons accused in the case - Hashem Bin Hashem and Tareq Ibrahim -were among those sent to jail. Also read: Rupganj factory fire: Claimants found for 40 bodies out of 48, after 56 families submit DNA samples However, the court granted bail to Hashem’s two other sons Tawsif Ibrahim and Tanjib Ibrahim, on grounds that they study abroad and don't have any ownership of the company.

Family members on Saturday claimed 40 out of the 48 unidentified bodies burnt to the bone at the Rupganj factory fire, said CID DNA Assistant Analyst Nusrat Yasmin. DNA samples were collected from 56 people on behalf of the claimants' families, she added. “We have already taken samples from 48 unidentified bodies at the DMCH morgue. Forty of those bodies were claimed by family members today.” “We have collected 56 samples from the claimants, we will deliver the bodies to the family as soon as we get a match,” she added. DNA collected from the burnt bodies is being matched with DNA collected from articles of clothing or other items submitted by claimant families. Locked inside a facility with no fire exit, 52 lives were burnt to ashes caused by the Rupganj factory fire in Narayanganj. It took around 27 hours for 18 firefighting units to douse the fire completely as at some floors had huge inflammable substances stockpiled. Also read: Locked inside a factory without fire exit, 52 lives go up in flames Firefighters recovered 49 bodies from the 4th floor of the building and sent those to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital’s morgue, taking the death toll to 52 from the tragic incident. Only one of the 49 bodies could be identified, as the rest were completely burnt. 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. 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.   Most 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: Rupganj fire: Sajeeb Group chairman, sons among 8 put on remand A Narayanganj court on Saturday placed the eight people, including the chairman of Sajeeb Group, his four sons and the group CEO, on a four-day remand each following their arrest in connection with the Rupganj factory fire case. Narayanganj Senior Judicial Magistrate Fahmida Khanam passed the order in the afternoon after a hearing as police produced the arrestees before the court seeking a 10-day remand for them, inspector Asaduzzaman told the UNB correspondent from the court. Earlier in the day, Narayanganj police arrested 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 in the connection with the tragic fire in the factory owned by the group that claimed the lives of 52 people so far. Earlier, police filed a case with Rupganj police station against the eight people and many unknown others following the massive fire in the factory, said Superintendent of Police in the district Md Zaidul Alam. 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 Alam said.

The International Trade Union Confederation Bangladesh Council (ITUC-BC) Saturday expressed deep concern over the death of 52 workers and injury of more than 30 in a fire at Hashem Food and Beverage factory in Narayanganj's Rupganj. ITUC-BC Chairman Anwar Hossain and Secretary General Md Mojibur Rahman Bhuiyan demanded legal action against "the culprits as it appears that the authorities killed the workers in a planned way by blocking the exit of the factory and preventing rescuers from entering the building during the fire." Also read: Locked inside a factory without fire exit, 52 lives go up in flames The global trade union federation demanded compensation for deceased workers' families, according to international standards; rehabilitation and compensation for the injured. ITUC-BC said factory fires are recurring due to inefficiency, negligence and indifference of the concerned authorities. It urged the government to form a judicial inquiry committee against all those, directly and indirectly, responsible for the incident. Also read: Rupganj factory fire: Sajeeb Group chairman, 4 sons, CEO among 8 arrested Also, the global trade union federation called for making the results of the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments' work on anomalies of the factory – especially the recruitment of child workers – public.

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.

Indian High Commission in Dhaka has expressed deep shock at the loss of lives in the tragic fire in Narayanganj. "Deeply saddened by the loss of so many lives in the tragic fire in Narayanganj," the high commission tweeted Saturday. It conveyed deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones or were injured in the fire. Also read: Locked inside a factory without fire exit, 52 lives go up in flames "Our prayers are with everyone affected by this tragedy," the high commission said. Also, the High Commission of Canada is "deeply saddened" to hear of the deadly factory fire in Narayanganj. Also read: Rupganj factory fire: Sajeeb Group chairman, 4 sons, CEO among 8 arrested "We extend our deepest sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones and we wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured," the high commission tweeted. At least 52 people died in a fire Thursday at a factory in Narayanganj's Rupganj, the latest industrial disaster in the country.

A Narayanganj court on Saturday placed the eight people, including the chairman of Sajeeb Group, his four sons and the group CEO, on a four-day remand each following their arrest in connection with the Rupganj factory fire case. Narayanganj Senior Judicial Magistrate Fahmida Khanam passed the order in the afternoon after a hearing as police produced the arrestees before the court seeking a 10-day remand for them, inspector Asaduzzaman told the UNB correspondent from the court. Earlier in the day, Narayanganj police arrested 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 in the connection with the tragic fire in the factory owned by the group that claimed the lives of 52 people so far. Earlier, police filed a case with Rupganj police station against the eight people and many unknown others following the massive fire in the factory, said Superintendent of Police in the district Md Zaidul Alam. Also read: Rupganj factory fire: Sajeeb Group chairman, 4 sons, CEO among 8 arrested 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 Alam said.

The government will not spare any one responsible for the devastating factory fire in Rupganj, Home Minister Asaduzzman Khan said on Saturday after announcing the arrest of eight people, including the owner of the enterprise, in this connection. The home minister was talking to reporters after visiting the burnt Hashem Foods factory, a concern of Sajeeb Group, at Bhulta under Rupganj in Narayanganj. Police said they 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. Also read: Rupganj factory fire: Sajeeb Group chairman, 4 sons, CEO among 8 arrested “None will be spared if their negligence is proven behind the factory fire,” the home minster said. 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.