Eight employees work regularly at Popeyes Coffee and Fast Food in Khilgaon, Dhaka. The salary they receive leaves nothing for their family expenses. The establishment has been closed for three days due to fear of arrest in the ongoing crackdown on the restaurant. They fear that if the shop remains closed for a long time, they may become unemployed.
This fear has gripped the employees of almost every restaurant in the capital. Apart from this, employees are also being arrested on charges of irregularities in the organization. According to them, almost all restaurants in the capital have been established by taking floor rent from the building owner. In that context, the building owner and restaurant owner should be responsible for the rules and irregularities. However, the employees are facing harassment. The police are arresting the employees.
For years, the government agencies concerned have not been monitoring the restaurants in the capital. After the fire at the Green Cozy Cottage building on Bailey Road on the night of February 29 that killed 46 people, they seem to have regained their senses. The service agencies are reeling. After the tragedy on Bailey Road, the police, RAJUK and the City Corporation started a campaign against the restaurants from March 3. The question has arisen, where were the people in charge of the service institutions all this time? When eight restaurants were built in Green Cozy Cottage, why were no measures taken? Are the people in charge not responsible for this? And after the accident, raids are being carried out in large numbers on the restaurants. Innocent employees are being harassed.
Police conducted raids on 1,132 restaurants in the capital over three days until Wednesday afternoon.
Apart from this, the police conducted raids on 207 shops and eight chemical warehouses for storing hazardous gas cylinders. 872 people were arrested in three days. Most of them were prosecuted in court. The number of prosecutions is 887. The accused in the prosecution were released by the court after paying a fine. However, 20 cases were filed in these three days.
Of these, 228 people were arrested in raids at 402 restaurants on Tuesday. 192 were prosecuted in court. 10 cases were filed. In addition, raids were conducted at 103 shops and five chemical warehouses on charges of storing hazardous gas cylinders.
Apart from this, RAJUK and Dhaka City Corporation (DNCC) conducted raids on 23 establishments and imposed fines of Tk 967,000.
Yesterday afternoon, cooking was being done on a gas stove on the road in front of Lal Mia Hotel in Bhuiyanpara, Meradia. At that time, Khilgaon police arrested the hotel manager, Ashraful. He is scheduled to be prosecuted in court.
Yesterday, a mobile court of RAJUK conducted a raid at 25/B building in Khilgaon and fined four establishments including KFC, Domino's Pizza, and Secret Recipe Tk 7 lakh. When the raid was conducted at the building, two establishments named Al Qaeda Party Center and Crimson Cup were found closed.
RAJUK Executive Magistrate Kamrul Islam said, KFC and Domino's Pizza did not have fire safety and alternative stairs. These restaurants were set up in residential buildings. These establishments could not show the necessary documents. The two establishments were fined Tk 2 lakh each for irregularities. In addition, Secret Recipe was fined Tk 2 lakh and China Land Restaurant was fined Tk 1 lakh. He said, they have been asked to run the establishments in accordance with all the rules and regulations. Along with the restaurant owner, the building owner will also be brought under the law.
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