Court Grants Bail to Two Accused Following Surrender in Bailey Road Fire Case

In a major legal update concerning the horrific Green Cozy Cottage disaster, two key defendants facing criminal charges surrendered before a Dhaka court and were subsequently granted bail. The case arises from the catastrophic fire that swept through the commercial building on Bailey Road two years ago, leading to the deaths of 46 people in one of the capital’s deadliest commercial establishment blazes.

On Wednesday, 29 July 2026, Md. Ramzanul Huq Nihad, the proprietor of property development firm Amin Mohammad Foundation, alongside Russel Ahmed, the owner of Phuko Restaurant, appeared voluntarily before the Court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana to formally submit their bail petitions.

During the court proceedings, senior counsel Advocate Zahid Hasan argued for the bail application on behalf of Nihad, while Advocate Pradip Ranjan Debnath presented arguments supporting Russel’s petition. Following the hearing, Magistrate Jewel Rana granted bail to both individuals under specific legal conditions, a outcome later confirmed by Sub-Inspector Shah Alam representing the court’s prosecution division.

The disaster occurred on the night of 29 February 2024, at approximately 9:45 pm, when a fire erupted inside the seven-storey Green Cozy Cottage complex situated along the bustling Bailey Road commercial strip. The inferno spread rapidly throughout the multi-level dining and retail establishment, trapped dozens of patrons, and resulted in 46 fatalities—comprising 20 men, 18 women, and 8 children. Fire service personnel and emergency responders managed to rescue 75 individuals alive during intensive night-time extraction operations.

Following the tragic event, Sub-Inspector Mohammad Shahidul Islam of Ramna Model Police Station registered a formal case alleging severe safety non-compliance, unauthorized structural alterations, and criminal negligence. Given the high-profile nature and complexity of the disaster, law enforcement authorities transferred the investigation from local police to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for detailed forensic examination.

The tragedy brought intense public scrutiny to urban safety standards, building code violations, and gas cylinder management across commercial buildings in Dhaka. Public health and urban planning experts noted that the rapid proliferation of restaurants operating in structures lacking adequate emergency stairwells, proper ventilation systems, and fire safety clearances created immense hazards for the public.

As the CID continues its formal investigation into building management and lease obligations, the court’s decision to grant bail marks a notable procedural milestone in the ongoing judicial process surrounding the Bailey Road tragedy. Victims’ families and civil rights groups continue to closely monitor court proceedings, seeking comprehensive accountability and justice for the lives lost in the disaster.