Dhaka, March 1 -- 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 unf...