Police in Bangladesh have arrested eight people on murder charges in connection with a factory fire that killed at least 52 people, many of whom were trapped inside by an illegally locked door. The blaze began at the five-storey Hashem Foods factory in Rupganj, just outside the capital Dhaka, on Thursday night, sending huge clouds of black smoke billowing into the sky. Visiting the factory site on Saturday, Mr Khan described what had happened as “murder”, and said those responsible will be punished. Bangladesh has a tragic history of industrial disasters, including factories catching fire with the workers locked inside. The factory is a subsidiary of Sajeeb Group, a Bangladeshi company that produces juice under Pakistan’s Lahore-based Shezan International.

Source: Irish Independent July 10, 2021 12:33 UTC