The drive against non-compliant restaurants in the capital continued for a third consecutive day on Wednesday, fining some eateries on charges of various irregularities.
A mobile court of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) fined Kachchi Bhai Tk 0.1 million in Gulshan-2 on charges of having no fire-safety measure and also operating without permission.
A branch of Kachchi Bhai was located on the Bailey Road building that caught fire on February 29, leaving 46 people dead.
DNCC Zone-3 Zonal Executive Officer and Executive Magistrate Julker Nayen imposed the fine during a drive.
The owner may face a three-month jail sentence in default of the fine, he said.
'Dhansiri Restaurant', which is situated on the ground floor of the same building, was fined Tk 40,000 for not having permissions.
The building also houses Giros Greek Food on the ground floor, Peshawar Dine and Raj Kachchi on the first floor, Cafe Celebrity Restaurant on the fourth floor, and Kingfisher Restaurant and Bar on the fifth floor.
Kachchi Bhai occupies one side of the first floor of the five-storey building on plot number 33 of road 46, adjacent to Gulshan-2 roundabout.
During the drive, Julker Nayen also marked two high-rise buildings in Gulshan 2 area as fire vulnerable buildings.
Many restaurants were set up in those buildings without any fire-safety measures.
Meanwhile, a mobile court of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) fined four restaurants Tk 0.7 million for not having fire-safety measures.
Rajuk Executive Magistrate Kamrul Islam, who led the drive, said Domino's Pizza, KFC and Secret Recipe were fined Tk 0.2 million each, while China Land Restaurant was fined Tk 0.1 million.
The owner of the 14-storey building at 25/B in Khilgaon has rented out the lower four floors to various organisations. The building houses eateries like Domino's Pizza, KFC, and Secret Recipes, Crimson Cup and Al-Kaderia Party Center.
The Rajuk's mobile court entered the building around 11:50am and asked owner of the building Kabir Hossain to show necessary documents.
It found although the building was approved for commercial use, it lacked permits for operating restaurants.
The mobile court told the owner that the building can be rented to offices, but no to restaurants.
Later, Rajuk Executive Magistrate Kamrul Islam inspected three restaurants, Domino's Pizza, KFC, and Secret Recipe in the building and fined them Tk 0.2 million each.
In addition to the fine, the three eateries were given a one-month deadline to fix the necessary documents. Later, the team visited China Land Restaurant next to the building.
"The eatery could not show the licence of the fire service. There was an emergency exit in the restaurant, but there was no sign to indicate it. For these reasons, we have fined the restaurant Tk 0.1 million," he said.
After the drive, Executive Magistrate Kamrul told reporters that the eateries were fined as they were unable to show the necessary documents.
The Rajuk's magistrate, however, did not answer why action was not taken against the owner of the building.
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