Kacchi Bhai restaurant in Gulshan fined Tk 100,000

A mobile court has imposed a fine of Tk 100,000 on popular biriyani chain Kacchi Bhai's outlet in Dhaka's Gulshan for operating with fire hazards.

Additionally, Dhansiri restaurant received a Tk 40,000 fine, while Sonargaon General Store was fined Tk 50,000 for safety violations.

The fines were handed out during an inspection drive conducted by the Dhaka North City Corporation on Wednesday to enforce fire safety compliance at restaurants in the wake of the deadly blaze at Bailey Road's Green Cozy Cottage building, reports bdnews24.com.

DNCC Executive Magistrates Md Zulkar Nayan and Mahmudul Hasan spearheaded the campaign in the Gulshan and Banani areas, accompanied by Fire Service officials.

The drive kicked off at Gulshan's Hossain Bhaban, which houses eight restaurants across five floors.

Kacchi Bhai was penalised for lacking a fire extinguishing system and a fire exit, according to Zulkar Nayan.

"They could not provide any valid documents for the business other than the trade licence. They have no fire extinguishing system or fire exit. As a result, they have been fined. We will scrutinise their documents during the next phase and the restaurant will be sealed off if we find any discrepancies."

Authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into various issues, including the fire safety systems at restaurants in Gulshan and surrounding neighbourhoods, he added.

Meanwhile, Sonargaon General Store, situated in the seven-storey 'Seba House', was fined for improper storage practices. Dhansiri restaurant's penalty resulted from an inadequate fire extinguishing system and poor kitchen conditions.

The crackdown comes in the wake of a devastating fire that claimed 46 lives at the multi-storey Green Cozy Cottage on Feb 29.

The incident brought the issue of fire safety under renewed focus, with authorities shutting down several restaurants during inspection drives across Dhaka.