It was 9:50 in the evening when I ordered a platter of burgers and cold coffee at Khanaz restaurant on the fourth floor. Seated at the table, I was taking pictures. Suddenly, within 30 seconds, I noticed smoke emerging from the back of the restaurant. I immediately inquired with the waiter about the source of the smoke, noting that there wasn't a kebab restaurant below. However, the waiter appeared indifferent, simply instructing me to remain seated.

Moments later, the atmosphere changed drastically as screaming erupted throughout the restaurant—there was a fire below. Reacting swiftly, we hurriedly made our way outside. The stairwell was engulfed in smoke as we climbed up. With the electricity suddenly cutting out, I resorted to using the light from my mobile phone. Despite sticking together initially, we eventually got separated amidst the chaos.

As I started to climb down, I entered the Illiyeen showroom on the third floor. However, upon seeing that the front of the showroom was ablaze, I hastily retreated and sought refuge in Kacchi Bhai Restaurant on the second floor. Inside, the scene was harrowing—numerous individuals, including women and children, were crying amidst the chaos. More than half of the people inside were in flames, many already badly burnt. People were running around on the floor with burnt bodies.

The entrance through which I had come was now engulfed in flames. Moving swiftly, I sought shelter behind the kitchen area. Finding the kitchen window shutters ajar, I escape. Despite my fear to jump, out of desperation, I uttered the name of Allah and jumped out of the window to save my life. I eventually reached the street below and crawled. I feared I had sustained severe injuries—believing my back to be broken.

Rescuers from the fire department transported me to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on a stretcher. There was no news of Minhaj, a senior on my campus, who had accompanied me on the premises. Frantically, I attempted to reach him on his mobile phone, but to no avail. It rang persistently, unanswered amidst the chaos of the fire. However, Minhaj's phone powered off once the flames were extinguished, leaving me in agonising uncertainty about his fate.

Saiful Islam Amin, a recent graduate from Daffodil University in the capital, found himself in tears as he spoke to Bangla Outlook near the morgue of Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 11:00 am on Friday. The previous night, on Thursday, he had dined at a restaurant on Bailey Road with his senior at the university software engineer Minhaj.

At 11:30 p.m., Oliullah Khan, a resident of Chandpur Sadar Upazila, received distressing news regarding his younger son Minhaj Khan being trapped in the 'Green Cozy Cottage' on Bailey Road. Oliullah, who was staying at his sister's house in Sirajganj, immediately travelled to Dhaka after learning about the situation. From morning until late at night, he tirelessly searched various hospitals in the hope of finding the child.

Around 10:30 a.m., Minhaj's friends were able to identify him solely by his watch and teeth, as the rest of his body was charred beyond recognition. Following the identification, Minhaj's body underwent a DNA test at the Dhaka Medical College morgue before being released to the family for final rites.

Since Thursday night, Nazrul Islam has been frantically searching for Nazmul Hasan, a computer science student in the eighth semester at BRAC University, across all the hospitals in the capital. Nazmul, accompanied by four friends, had dined at a restaurant called Kachchi Bhai in a particular building around 9:30 p.m. that night. Tragically, only one of them managed to escape. The bodies of the other two friends have been recovered and identified, but Nazmul remains unaccounted for.

Expressing the family's anguish, Nazmul's uncle, Anwar Hossain Gazi, revealed that Nazmul's father is overwhelmed with grief, rendering him unable to speak. Desperate for any news about Nazmul's whereabouts, Nazrul has been tirelessly stationed in front of the emergency department at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, hoping for a glimmer of information. As each moment passes without any update, the pain of uncertainty weighs heavily on the hearts of the family, their eyes filled with tears for their beloved child.

In front of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, a scene of collective mourning unfolds as thousands of individuals grieve for their lost relatives. Among them, some console those with injured family members, while others confront the grim task of identifying frozen bodies or grotesquely charred remains. Special marks, watches, rings, and bangles serve as identifiers, offering a semblance of closure amidst the overwhelming sorrow.  

A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team has set up a DNA testing facility in front of the Dhaka Medical College Morgue. They are collecting fingerprints and DNA samples from deceased individuals. For those whose bodies have been extensively burnt, samples of their charred remains are being preserved. The CID team is determined to utilise these samples to accurately identify all the recovered bodies, providing closure to the families affected by the tragedy.

Soumik Ahmed rushed to the spot after hearing the news of his campus friend Minhaj Khan being trapped. He introduced himself as the adult leader of Bangladesh Scouts and worked with the fire brigade and rescue forces from 11 p.m. Soumik remained at the hospital and the scene until half past two in the morning.

He told Bangla Outlook, 'We started rescue work after the fire came under control. We rescued at least a hundred injured people from inside the building. It is difficult to say the exact number. Many of the bodies that were recovered were trapped and died of smoke inhalation. Some bodies were completely burnt, so I could not identify them as male or female.'

He said, 'I went to the morgue of Dhaka Medical College Hospital in search of my friend Minhaj around 3:00 am. I found 27 dead bodies in the morgue of the old building. However, not finding my friend there, I rushed to the morgue of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and observed the dead bodies of 21 people. All the bodies were examined by turning their clothes upside down, but I did not find him there either. Finally, I hurried to the burn unit, where I found 11 dead bodies lying down. Unfortunately, I did not find him there either.'

Soumik also mentioned that while doing the rescue work, he observed many gas cylinders on the stairs inside the building.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka District Administration has established an information centre in front of the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College since last night. Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Anisur Rahman stated that all the injured individuals undergoing treatment in various hospitals receive cash assistance of Tk. 10,000 taka. Additionally, Tk. 25,000 financial assistance is being provided for the burial of the identified deceased. He mentioned that according to the latest information received from the centre, 46 people lost their lives in the incident, with 43 of them being identified. Furthermore, 38 individuals have been handed over to their relatives.