Restaurant Owner Withdraws Surrender Petition Again

The owner of a restaurant implicated in the criminal case arising from the devastating Bailey Road fire in Dhaka, which claimed 46 lives, has once again withdrawn an application to surrender before the court after initially seeking bail.

Rafi Uz-Zahed, 34, appeared before the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefatullah in Dhaka on Sunday and formally sought to surrender. Through his counsel, Advocate ABM Ibrahim Khalil, he subsequently filed a petition requesting bail.

The prosecution strongly opposed the application. Public Prosecutor Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon argued against granting bail, prompting the court to hear submissions from both sides before reserving its decision. However, before a formal order was issued, the defence unexpectedly withdrew the surrender application, bringing the proceedings to an abrupt end.

The unusual development has raised questions within legal circles. Prosecutor Sumon stated that after the hearing concluded, he was initially informed through court channels that the bail request had been rejected and that the accused had been ordered to jail custody. Based on that information, he communicated the development to journalists. Shortly afterwards, however, he was notified that the defence had withdrawn the application altogether, creating confusion regarding the status of the proceedings.

Court sources revealed that this is not the first time Rafi has adopted such a course of action. On 23 May, he reportedly submitted a surrender petition in the same case but later withdrew it. Similar applications were also filed and subsequently withdrawn on 20 and 21 May, indicating a repeated pattern of legal manoeuvring.

The case involves allegations relating to the catastrophic fire at Green Cozy Cottage, a multi-storey commercial building on Bailey Road that housed several restaurants. Investigators allege that negligence and various safety failures contributed to the scale of the tragedy.

In a related development, two other accused individuals in the same case appeared before the court on 17 May. Ramjanul Haque Nihad, proprietor of Amin Mohammad Foundation, and Adib Alam, proprietor of Hakka Dhaka Restaurant, both sought to surrender and apply for bail. While Nihad later withdrew his surrender petition, Adib Alam was granted bail by the court.

Key Developments in the Case

Background of the Fire

The tragedy occurred at approximately 9:45 pm on 29 February 2024 when a fire engulfed the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage building on Bailey Road. The blaze resulted in the deaths of 46 people, including 20 men, 18 women and eight children. Rescue teams managed to save 75 individuals from the building.

Following the incident, a criminal case was filed by Sub-Inspector Mohammad Shahidul Islam of Ramna Model Police Station. Responsibility for the investigation was later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which conducted an extensive inquiry before submitting its charge sheet.

Authorities ultimately brought charges against 22 individuals, including owners and operators of restaurants located within the building. The prosecution maintains that accountability must be established for one of the deadliest urban fire disasters in Bangladesh’s recent history, while court proceedings continue against both detained and absconding accused persons.