Fire at Hashem Food and Beverage factory building
- July 10, 2021
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The fire at Hashem Food and Beverage factory building in Rupganj killed 52 people and injured 30. Rupganj is an industrial town near the capital Dhaka. Fruit juices, noodles and sweets were manufactured at the ill fated factory.
According to emergency services officials, workers were trapped inside and were unable to flee because a door was padlocked. The fire started on the ground floor of the six-story factory building and rose up to the top floors. Each of the floors are 35,000 square feet.
The Hashem Food and Beverage factory is owned by Sajeeb Group. Emergency services officials stated that chemicals and flammable materials were stored inside the factory building.
Bangladesh has a track record of poor working conditions. Disasters occur each year due to poor fire and building safety standards. In August 2016, 100 workers were ill in Chittagong after inhaling gas which had leaked from a fertilizer factory.
The government of Bangladesh pledged reforms and safety standards since an fire in 2013 killed 1,100 people. But the measures taken were not enough.
Management of Hashem Foods Ltd. failed to reveal the number of workers inside when the fire had broken out.
The police later filed a case against the Sajeeb Group owner Abul Hashem. He was charged murder under section 302 of the Penal Code among other charges. The charges include voluntarily causing injury and attempt to murder.
