AL leader Ataur Rahman Shamim dies in Bailey Road fire

Advocate Ataur Rahman Shamim, vice-president of Awami League’s (AL) Kulaura Upazila of Moulvibazar and senior lawyer of Bangladesh Supreme Court, died in a fire in a multi-storied building at Bailey Road in the capital Dhaka.

Confirming his death, the deceased’s nephew Tarek Hasan said that Ataur Rahman Shamim is a resident of Sreepur village in Brahmanbazar union of Kulaura upazila.

“Ataur Rahman went to have coffee at the building located on Bailey Road in the capital. He died due to suffocation due to excess gas during the fire,” he also said.

Nurul Alam, who was with advocate Shamim, said that shortly before the accident, the two of them went together from Hotel Capital to Kacchi Bhai restaurant for coffee. Just 5 minutes after going there, he heard a few explosions with black smoke coming from the ground floor of the restaurant.

At that time, they tried to get down first. However, nothing could be seen in the coil of smoke. Later, they started climbing up the stairs.

“I lost Shamim in the crowd at this time. I survived through the helipad but Shamim died,” Nural Alam also said.

Meanwhile, Moulvibazar-2 seat Member of Parliament (MP) and Awami League Central Organizing Secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel has expressed deep grief over the death of Advocate Ataur Rahman Shamim and condoled for the bereaved family members.

Meanwhile, 46 people have died so far in the incident of a terrible fire in a multi-storied building at Bailey Road in the capital, confirmed Health Minister Dr. Samanta Lal Sen.

Earlier, a fire broke out in a restaurant named ‘Kacchi Bhai’ on the second floor of a multi-storey building on Bailey Road in the capital around 9:50 pm on Thursday. The fire was brought under control at 11:50 pm with the efforts of 13 units of the fire service.