A fire that broke out in the city early hours of Thursday (Dec 26) in building number 7 of the Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital's Segunbagicha area has been brought under control after over six hours. At least 19 firefighting units were deployed at the scene and the fire was brought under control at 8:05 a.m., said Media Cell of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarter.
According to fire service, the firefighters received the report at 1:52 a.m. and arrived at the scene by 1:54 a.m. Initially, eight units were deployed to control the fire, but 10 additional units later joined the operation. Members of the army, police, and the Armed Police Battalion (APBN) were also present at the site, assisting with fire control efforts.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Earlier, Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence, Brigadier General Muhammad Jahed Kamal told reporters at the scene that 19 units had been deployed, but only 10 units could physically operate because some vehicles faced difficulty entering the area. The fire had spread from the fifth to the eighth floor, he said.
Asked why it took so long to bring the fire under control, he said that it was a confined and restricted area. All the rooms were locked, and the windows were sealed. "We had to break in and spray water in the rooms," he said.
The firefighters tried to prevent the fire from spreading further and also minimize damage, the DG said.
Military, police, and Armed Police Battalion (APBN) assisted the fire fighting units to put out the flames. Two platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed at the site after the fire broke out, said a short message from the BGB.
Update:
Home Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Thursday (Dec 26) asked for forming a high-powered committee to probe the secretariat building fire as the blaze came under full control after around 10 hours of frantic efforts.
The home adviser said he has already instructed the authorities concerned to form a high-powered committee to probe the fire incident as he visited the site in the morning. He said the real cause of the fire would be known through an investigation. "We can't say anything whether the fire was sabotage or accidental without conducting investigation," he also said replying to a question.
