/ Fire doused but wait of missing persons’ relatives is not over

Five days after a massive fire ravaged the Gazi Tyres factory in Rupganj of Narayanganj, there is still no sign of the missing persons, whose relatives claim they were trapped inside the damaged building.
Relatives of those unaccounted for have been gathering at the factory gate since Sunday night when arsonists set the building ablaze after looting it.
However, officials have not confirmed the exact number of missing persons.
An expert team from BUET, in collaboration with the Public Works Department, visited the site on Wednesday and Thursday and declared the building unsafe for rescue operations.
The team, led by Professor Raquib Ahsan, assessed the damage and found the building too hazardous for search efforts. “The fire primarily damaged the upper floors, which have collapsed onto the lower levels,” Ahsan said.
He also highlighted visible cracks in the building’s columns.
On Thursday afternoon, a fire service team searched the building’s basement but found no victims.
Abdul Mannan, deputy assistant director of the Narayanganj fire service, indicated that higher authorities will decide on the next steps for rescue operations. Currently, two fire teams remain on standby in front of the building.
The factory, owned by Golam Dastagir Gazi, a former minister and lawmaker, was set on fire by miscreants on August 25.
Rashida Begum, mother of missing worker Md Aman, 21, said, “Why are we not even given their remains? Over a hundred people are missing. Is this the first fire in Bangladesh?”
Meanwhile, Jakir Hossain has been searching for his younger brother Manir Hossain, 28, for several days.
Manir, a factory worker, was last seen visiting the site on August 25.
Jakir found a pair of shoes he identified as his brother’s but failed to find the body.
He returned to his family with ashes and the shoes, holding a symbolic funeral for Manir in their village.
The building remains shrouded in smoke, with a strong odour of burning tyres and chemicals lingering.
The fire service continues to monitor the situation, awaiting further instructions as the search for the missing goes on.