Siddiquebazar explosion, 3 arrestees remanded

Three including owner of the Siddique Bazaar building that was rocked by an explosion have been remanded

Three persons, including the owners of the seven-story building, arrested in the case filed over explosion at the seven-story building of city’s Siddiquebazar have been put on two days’ remand each today.

Magistrate Mahbub Ahmed of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court of Dhaka passed the remand order after hearing on Thursday.

The remanded people are- building owner Wahidur Rahman, his brother Motiur Rahman and shop owner Abdul Motaleb Mintu.

Detectives detained Wahidur Rahman and Motiur Rahman from Fulbaria area on March 7 for interrogation and on the same day at night, Motab Mintu was brought from Dhaka Medical College area for interrogation.

Later on the day, they were arrested under section 54 of the CrPC. Detective Branch (DB) of police produced them in the court seeking a 10-day remand each on Thursday.  DB chief Harun Or Rashid confirmed the matter on Thursday.  

Till today, the death toll from the deadly explosion in the seven-storey building in rose to 21 as rescuers pulled out one more body from the rubble of the collapsed building on Thursday.

On Tuesday, at least 17 people were killed and over 100 were injured in a massive explosion in the building near a BRTC bus counter in the capital’s Siddiquebazar area near Gulistan. Later, two bodies were recovered from the debris on Wednesday.

Musa Haider, 45, a victim succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital last night, raising the death toll to 20. 

The explosion occurred around 4:50pm on Tuesday. A sanitary materials shop on the ground floor of the building, BRAC Bank office on one of the other floors and an adjacent 7-storey building were damaged but no building collapsed.

A four-member probe body headed by Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, Director of Fire Service and Civil Defense (Operation and Maintenance), has been formed to investigate the explosion.

The committee was asked to submit its report within five working days, said Shahjahan Sikder, Deputy Additional Director of Fire service and Civil Defense Headquarters Media Cell. - Special Correspondent