A Dhaka court has granted police two days to grill in custody four people accused in a case over negligence in the deaths of 46 victims in a building fire on Bailey Road.

The court passed the remand order when Abu Ansari, an inspector from Ramna Police Station, produced the arrestees in the court on Saturday.

Sub-Inspector Nizamuddin Fakir, court police’s general recording officer, said the court rejected bail petitions of the accused.

The defence lawyers argued that the accused are mere employees, who were not supposed to know if the building authorities had permission to run restaurants there.

The arrestees are Anwarul Haque, 27, and Shafiqur Rahman Rimon, 20, owners of the Cha Chumuk tea stall, Joynuddin Jisan, 30, manager of the Kacchi Bhai biryani restaurant, and Munsi Hamimul Haque Bipul, an official of constructor Amin Mohammad Group who was in-charge of the building.

Police arrested the three restaurant operators and started a case on Friday while the Amin Mohammad Group official was arrested on Saturday.

The charges against them include culpable homicide.

Cha Chumuk was on the ground floor of the fire-ravaged building, Green Cozy Cottage.

The Fire Service believes the blaze originated from the Cha Chumuk stall, a view that appears to be supported by video clips provided by locals showing efforts to extinguish the fire on the ground floor.

Kacchi Bhai's Bailey Road outlet, situated on the building's first floor, was particularly busy that evening as it was offering a discount.

The blaze claimed at least 46 lives. Among the 12 hospitalised after the fire, five were undergoing treatment in a critical state while the others were on the path of recovery.