175 disappeared while looting Gazi Tires factory

Relatives of local residents have claimed that at least 175 people are missing even though no workers are missing in the fire at Gazi Tires in Rupganj, Narayanganj. However, after speaking with the factory authorities, police, eyewitnesses and the relatives of the missing persons, it seems that those 175 people went missing while looting during the fire in the Gazi Tires factory.

On Tuesday (August 27), most of the missing persons, including their relatives, said that most of the missing persons had come to loot factories. Others entered the factory in search of relatives or to see what was going on.

Deputy Commissioner of Narayanganj Mohammad Mahmudul Haque visited the scene at noon. He told reporters that many relatives are reporting missing persons. An initiative has been taken to prepare a list of missing persons. An eight-member committee headed by Additional District Magistrate Hamidur Rahman has been formed in the fire incident.

At least 20 witnesses of the incident said that the ground floor was set on fire during the looting of the six-storey building. Those who were inside the building, they entered the building for looting or to see the situation. Three and a quarter hours after setting the fire, the fire service went to the spot around 12:30 am. Before that, some of the people trapped in the building shouted to save them from the roof of the building.

At that time, Ratan Khan, a resident of the Khadun area below the factory, climbed up on the roof through the pipe and gave a rope. Many people came down on that rope. He said that many people were trapped above after the fire. By 12 midnight they were shouting. At one point he climbs up the pipe to the roof. Ratan claimed that most of those who were in the building went for looting. Some went upstairs to bring down their relatives inside the building after the fire broke out.

A woman from nearby Murapara area was crying sitting in front of the burnt building of the factory with her two-year-old child in her arms. She said her husband works as a mason's assistant. He came to the factory last Sunday (August 25) after hearing the news of looting in the factory. She had her last phone conversation with her husband at 9pm. He was inside the factory then. He was not found after that.

Regarding the reason for coming to the factory, he said, he came to loot. He has taken it before. There was no problem then. At least four relatives of missing persons like the woman have confessed to coming to loot.

They said that after the fall of the government, Gazi Tires and Gazi Pipe factory owned by Golam Dastgir Gazi, a former member of parliament and minister of Rupganj, were set on fire after looting. The looting that started on August 5 ended on August 8. Thousands of people from Rupganj participated in it. No action was taken against them. Then on Sunday (August 25) when the news of Golam Dastgir Gazi's arrest spread, the people of different villages again engaged in looting in the second round. The missing persons came to the factory to loot on the sight of others.

A Jamdani craftsman from Maikuli area came to the factory in search of his brother. He said that after August 5, many people in his village looted factories. His 20-year-old brother's friend was also one of the robbers. On Sunday (August 25), after hearing the news of the robbery, his brother came to the factory in the afternoon with that friend. Since then, there is no trace of the two.

This 38-year-old Jamdani craftsman said that the people of the village did not consider the matter a crime as no legal action was taken after the first robbery. If legal action had been taken against looters after August 5, no one would have dared to loot on Sunday (August 25).

Saiful Islam, assistant general manager of the factory claimed that there is no worker of Gazi Tires among the missing persons and said that there was looting and arson in the factory from 5 to 8 August. Since then, the factory has stopped production. On Sunday (August 25), some security personnel and officials were in the factory when the robbery started. After the announcement on the mic, the situation went out of control when looters started entering the factory. Then they left the factory.

Saiful Islam also said that at one stage of the looting, there was a clash between the two looting parties. At around 9pm, looting continued in the six-storey building used as a warehouse for raw materials. Meanwhile, someone set fire to the ground floor of the building. Then they heard that a part of the looters got stuck in the building.

Saiful Islam, complaining that no police cooperation was received after the attack incident, said that after the looting started, I informed various places of law enforcement including the police station. The police did not come. Later a group of army came in front of the factory gate. But did not stand for more than 10 minutes. The fire service came after setting the fire at night. Such disappearances would not have happened if law enforcement had been active in the beginning.

Bangladesh /KH