One is not sure the investigation of the Sitakunda container depot fire in Chattogram, which has claimed so far 49 lives, including 10 firefighters and over 200 injured, is going the right way. We do not say the owners of the depot blown by explosion of containers of chemicals must be easy targets for arrest. But their responsibility cannot be ruled out if negligence is found. That can be investigated without first arresting and sending some of them for imprisonment only to show police activity.
Reportedly, the eight people that the police have currently accused in the case are all employees at the depot, some of those who have lost limbs and have sustained severe burns all over their bodies and are currently fighting for their lives in hospitals. Even today (Sunday) one firefighter succumbed to his injuries, bringing the firefighters’ death toll to ten from nine. According to Sitakunda police, eight people have been named in the case stand accused of negligence and mismanagement.
We as outsiders do not want to guess or condemn the police investigation is not being effective. We are serious about police accountability of fair investigation without prejudice or corruption. What is normal in police investigation is to use torture making serious and fair investigation unnecessary.
Behind every major catastrophe in Bangladesh, corruption remains the common factor. Neither the greedy owners nor the government employees who are meant to inspect such facilities on a regular basis take their responsibilities seriously. The general public impression that every big is taken by various authorities as a big opportunity for earning extra money obstructing the real truth to be revealed making same calamity to be repeated. Punishing the real culprits creates helps to create a true sense of responsibility all round.
So the investigation process must be subjected to internal checks and rechecks so that it depends on few to decide the finality of the police investigation. Our crime investigation must follow from the internal way as to how crime investigations are conducted through various stages to make sure only the culprits punished. It is better to admit our crime investigations are not rigorously conducted without being too careful to protect the innocent and does not care to go deep into the crisis.
The Sitakunda container depot fire has already impacted the lives of too many innocent people; it needs to be investigated properly and honestly. Who is responsible for the criminal negligence, however highly positioned or rich might be, he must not escape. We cannot be so unconscionable that loss of so many lives is compromised.
