Online Desk: He pointed to the Chumak Restaurant on the ground floor as the fire’s point of origin

Abdul Halim, the manager of popular biriyani chain Kacchi Bhai’s Bailey Road branch, has brushed aside claims that the devastating blaze at the Green Cozy Cottage building started in his establishment.

He pointed to the Chumak Restaurant on the ground floor as the deadly fire’s point of origin.

“At the onset, I saw smoke billowing from Chumak Restaurant,” he said on Friday while addressing reports blaming Kacchi Bhai for the blaze.

“Why don’t you come and have a look at our kitchen at the back of the building? It’s totally unscathed. You won’t see a single sign of a fire originating there. The fire broke out at the front side of the building so how can one hold Kacchi Bhai restaurant responsible?”

Emphasising the unfairness of blaming Kacchi Bhai, he expressed confidence that investigations by the police and other authorities would clear them of any wrongdoing.

“We’re being unjustly harassed. The media should seek the truth without prematurely assigning blame.”

Recounting the events that unfolded on Thursday, Halim described noticing smoke at 9:50pm with dozens of guests inside.

He attempted to combat the flames with fire extinguishers, to no avail. Halim, who shared a video of his efforts, mourned the loss of two staff members, cashier Kamrul Hasan Rocky and service man Jehan, with another injured.

At the time of the fire, the restaurant housed about 25 guests and 15 staff. Halim attempted to guide everyone downstairs, but fear drove most to seek refuge upstairs, where the fire rapidly spread.

Halim was unable to assess the extent of the damage suffered by the restaurant as police have restricted access to the building.

The building’s façade speaks volumes of the tragedy, according to him.

Asked if there were any special offers at the restaurant on Thursday, he said, “Yes we had some promotions on the Foodpanda platform.”