Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, has announced the formation of a high-level committee to investigate the fire that broke out in building No. 7 of the secretariat.
The committee will include 5 to 11 members, tasked with uncovering the cause of the incident, he said during a briefing held in front of the secretariat at 9am on Thursday (26 December).
Earlier, at around 8:45am, the adviser entered the secretariat premises, followed closely by Housing and Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan.
Following the fire, which erupted in the administrative nerve centre located in Segunbagicha, all gates of the secretariat have been closed.
Despite this, employees began arriving from 7:45 am, though they were barred from entering by law enforcement.
Those who reached early, after hearing news of the fire, were seen waiting in front of the secretariat.
The fire, which severely damaged the eighth and ninth floors of building No. 7, was brought under control after approximately six and a half hours of relentless effort by 19 units of the Fire Service.
According to Shahjahan Shikder, a Fire Service Media Cell official, the fire was finally contained at 8:15am on Thursday.
Fire Service officials stated that they were alerted to the blaze at 1:52am on Wednesday night, and their first responders reached the scene by 1:54am.
Initially, eight units worked to douse the fire, with the number eventually increasing to 19.
The affected building houses six ministries and several departments, as listed on the Cabinet Division's website. These include:
- The Ministry of Youth and Sports
- The Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology
- The Posts and Telecommunications Division
- The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives
- The Local Government Division
- The Rural Development and Co-operatives Division
- The Ministry of Labour and Employment
- The Ministry of Finance
- The Finance Division
- The Financial Institutions Division
- The Internal Resources Division
- The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges
- The Road Transport and Highways Division
Officials and employees have raised concerns about how a fire could occur in a building deemed one of the most secure locations in the country.
Speculations about sabotage or negligence have also surfaced, with some suggesting that a holiday declaration may be warranted.
The fire has reignited questions surrounding the safety and preparedness of the secretariat, especially given its status as a critical hub of the nation’s governance.
