Dhaka: The devastating Nimtoli fire originated from a kitchen stove, fed on chemicals nearby and erupted into a conflagration that left over a hundred people and many wounded in the densely populated Old Dhaka locality, says an official probe report.

A five-member prove committee formed by the Home Ministry to investigate the June 3 Nimtoli inferno submitted their report along with recommendations to home minister Sahara Khatun in a formal meeting at her office Tuesday.

Led by home ministry additional secretary Iqbal Khan, the committee in its report recommended eviction of all kinds of chemical go-downs from Old Dhaka and the punitive action against the businessmen who were involved in chemical trading “illegally”.

Home Minister Sara Khatun, while revealing the report to reporters, said the fire broke out from the chemical go-down due to excessive heat from the kitchen where foods were being cooked for a bridal party.

The blaze soon engulfed the adjacent houses and took a huge toll.
 
At least 121 people, most of them women and children, burnt alive in the blaze.

Following the report, fire service and civil defense department on Tuesday noon filed a case with chief metropolitan magistrate court against Ohiduzzaman Mazumder, an old-city resident, in connection with the setting up of unlicensed chemical go-down.

Metropolitan magistrate Mehdi Hassan asked the accused to appear in person before the court on July 4.

The case statement says executive magistrate Al Amin seized the go-down on June 10 under the firefighting and prevention law of 2003 and the mobile court act 2009.

BDST: 1625 pm, 15 June 2010
OB/MRH/SMS/MUA