The authorities were prompt to arrest owners of the Banani high-rise where a blaze claimed 26 lives last week, but over a month into the fast-moving fire at Old Dhaka’s Chawkbazar, the owners of the chemical godown at Wahed Mansion are yet to be arrested.

The two owners of Wahed Mansion, the building where the deadly Old Dhaka blaze originated, are not in police custody either as they have secured bail from High Court in the case over the Feb 20 fire which claimed at least 70 lives.

Police say the owners of the chemical godown, where the blaze initiated, have been identified.

“We have identified the owners of the chemical storage in Waded Mansion. However, we are unable to disclose their identities for the sake of the ongoing probe,” Chawkbazar police Inspector Muradul Islam, who is heading the probe, told Bangla Tribune.

He also said that they are trying to arrest them, however, so far to no avail.

The deadly blaze, which raged through the night unleashing havoc across five buildings claimed 71 lives and injured over three dozens of people.

One Asif, whose father was among the victims, started a case over the fire incident with the Chawkbazar police. Wahen Mansion’s owners – Hasan and Sohel alias Shahid have been made defendants in the case while few other unknown persons have been named.

A total of five probe committee were set up to look into the Chawkbazar fire and all of those says that the blaze was initiated from the buildings first floor which housed a chemical storage.

The probe committees were formed by the Fire Service and Civik Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Explosives, Dhaka South City Corporation and Engineers’ Institute.

According to the locals, they could smell perfume in the area before the Feb 20 fire as the godown was used to refill perfume cans.

One cosmetics and perfume importer said, “A company, by the name Pearl International imported perfumes and produced fake replicas of the branded products.”

A ‘gas chamber’ was created while the perfume cans were refilled in the godown.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, “According to the probe reports, the storage, where the fire initiated, is liable and effective steps will be taken against its owners.”

However, little progress has been visible in the last one and a half months.

When asked about taking the accused into custody Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammad Javed Patwary said, “They (the accused) have been granted bail as everyone has the right to it. The probe is ongoing and if they are found guilty, the charge sheet will be filed accordingly.”

The IGP also added that they are trying to identify and arrest all accused in the case.

Bangla Tribune, during its own investigation, has been able to identify the identities of thee chemical storage’s owners.

According to the findings, the storage at the first floor belonged to an importing farm named ‘Pearl Trading International’. This company has been importing and distributing perfumes and cosmetics for at least three decades. Its office at the sixth floor of Kashem Centre at the capital’s Hatirpool was found closed since the fire incident. A resident of the 13/1 Sonargaon Road building said, furniture’s and other items have been moved from the office recently.

The cellphone numbers of one of the executive directors, Mohammad Kashif and two other directors Imtiaz Ahmed and Mozammed Iqbal have been unreachable as well. However, a number of sister concerns of Pearl International at the capital’s Dhanmondi, Bashundhara City, Bailey Road, Gulshan and Banani are all operational till date.

According to people familiar with the probe, all of the owners of Pearl International are non-Bengali. Traders and businessmen in Chawkbazar knew them as ‘Marwari Traders’. These people are said to be in close connection with top leaders of the ruling party. Some even allege this being the reason why they have not been arrested by the police.

During a public hearing, held on Mar 28, regarding the Chawkbazar fire, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association’s (BELA) Chief Executive Official Syeda Rizwana Hasan said, “Despite assurances from different quarters on actions against people responsible behind the fire, no such thing is visible until now.”

Asked for comments, she told Bangla Tribune on Sunday, “I think there is some pressure from the traders’ community of Chawkbazar. The two businessmen arrested over the Banani incident, have a certain political identity, which expedited their arrest.”

She further pointed out that the owner of Rupayan is still not taken into justice.

“He was allowed to escape,” she claimed.