Restaurateurs protest RAJUK crackdown

Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association has protested against the successive closure of hotels and restaurants by government agencies across Dhaka following a deadly fire at Green Cozy Cottage on Dhakas Bailey Road.

The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, or RAJUK, is the most corrupt organisation in Bangladesh and all its officials must be investigated, Imran Hassan, the associations general secretary, said at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Monday.

Imran warned of indefinite closures of hotels and restaurants if these operations continue.
Forty-six people were killed when a fire broke out at the Green Cozy Cottage building on Bailey Road on Feb 29.

Though the building was approved for commercial use, it did not have permission to lease space for restaurants. Nevertheless, 14 restaurants and food stores were housed in the building.

The building did not have a fire exit and gas cylinders and restaurant inventory clogged up the buildings only stairway.

Most of the victims of the disaster died of smoke inhalation because they were not able to get out from the upper floors of the building.

Following the tragedy, the issue of restaurants being set up in unsafe buildings in Dhanmondi, Khilgaon, Mirpur and other parts of the capital became a hot topic.

In the face of public criticism, RAJUK, the city corporations, police and RAB launched their own drives.    —bdnews24.com