Family members of fire victims in Tazreen Fashion expressed frustration as the owner of the factory has not yet been arrested one year into the incident even though a probe committee found him guilty of criminal negligence.

Tazreen’s tragic fire on November 24 last year killed 112 factory workers and injured many others. Many say the workers of the factory could not save their lives as some officials locked the collapsible gates.

After the fire incident the home ministry probe report says: “In the history of Bangladesh, no factory fire has surpassed the Tazreen Fashions Limited fire. It is evident that the owner’s unpardonable negligence is responsible for these appalling death. The owner of Tazreen Fashion Limited should be convicted under statuette 304.”

That committee disclosed the report last December.

The family members of the victims believe it was not merely an accident as the factory authorities prevented workers from getting out of the building.

Motiqul Islam’s sister died in that incident and before he perished he made a phone call to his brother. She said workers were trapped inside the burning building as some officials of the factory did not let them get out of the building.

After that, Matiqul filed a case against owner Delwar Hossain with the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court. He is now keeping a low profile after he was threatened with dire consequences if he did not withdraw the case.

Meanwhile, Ashulia Police Station sought more time for investigation after the investigation officer of the case had been changed.

Officer-in-charge of Ashulia Police Station SM Badrul Alam said: “We have sought further instructions from the court as the IO has been transferred.”

Badrul, however, said a separate case filed by Criminal Investigation Department after the incident was now under investigation. But he could not say anything about the progress of the case.

Owner Delwar Hossain by the time has hidden all the evidence as he has recently repaired and refurbished the factory building. People related to the investigation has no idea about it.

An ex-CID official Abdur Razzak Khan said crime scene can be reused, if the court permits, after the collection of necessary evidences from there.

High Court’s lawyer Fahima Nasreen said, there is no scope for reusing the crime scene before pressing charge sheet. If even the Investigation officer finishes collecting the evidences, for further investigation he might need to collect new evidences from the spot in future, which can’t be possible if the scene is used once again.

So, reusing the Tazreen is not allowed according to the law, she argued.

Earlier, On April 19 a writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking its directives on the authorities concerned to arrest the owner of Tazreen Fashion within seven days.

The writ also challenged the inaction of the authority concerned in arresting the garment owner. But no initiatives have yet been taken to this end.

One of the petitioners Sydia Gulrukh said while Sumaya Khatun, an injured worker of Tazreen Fashions Ltd, is still languishing in hospital, the owne of the factory is getting off scot-free. The court is now dealing with compensation and the list of the missing victims.

“We hope the owner will soon be arrested. Since 1990, such inhuman incidents have happened regularly in the garment sector and as the owners are the powerful and wealthy people in society, they do not face any punishment.”

Another petitioner Mahmudul Hasan said: “He (Delwar) hires child labourers, his factory had no fire safety certificate at the time when the factory caught fire, his factory had no fire exits and doors were locked when the factory was on fire.”

“How many criminal negligence instances do you need to arrest him?” he questioned.

– See more at: http://www.dhakatribune.com/law-amp-rights/2013/nov/24/tazreen-owner-still-scot-free#sthash.rY3oDB1C.dpuf