Bangladesh factory fire: Owner charged with murder

The owner of the Bangladesh factory, the fire at which killed 52 people was arrested and charged with murder on Saturday. Seven others have been arrested. It has now emerged that children as young as 11 had been working there.

The fire at the factory broke out on Thursday and raged for more than a day. A separate inquiry into the use of child labour has been launched.

Jayedul Alam, police chief for Narayanganj district where the factory is located, said the entrance had been padlocked at the time of the blaze and the factory breached multiple safety regulations.

"It was a deliberate murder," the police chief told AFP. All eight people detained face murder charges.

Before his arrest, Hashem told the Daily Star newspaper the fire "may have been a result of workers' carelessness", suggesting a discarded cigarette could have sparked the carnage.

Emergency services found 48 of the bodies on third floor of Hashem Food an Beverage factory outside Dhaka

The fire department said the exit door to the main staircase had been padlocked and highly flammable chemicals and plastics had been stored in the building.

Monnujan Sufian, state minister for labour, said inquiries had begun into the use of child workers at the factory.

(With inputs from agencies)