The government has reconstituted the investigation committee tasked with probing the fire at a Bangladesh Secretariat building, scrapping the earlier seven-member committee announced earlier in the day.
A new eight-member committee, led by Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Nasimul Ghani, has been formed, according to a directive from the Cabinet Division issued this evening.
The original committee, headed by Additional Secretary Mohammad Khaled Rahim, was disbanded only hours after its formation.
The revised committee includes Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam, Housing and Public Works Secretary Md Hamidur Rahman Khan, Brigadier General Mahbubur Russell, Commandant of Dhaka Cantonment and Director General of the Directorate of Fire Service and Civil Defence.
It also incorporates academic experts from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET): Professor Tanvir Manjur from Urban Strategy, Associate Professor Md Yasir Arafat Khan from Chemical Engineering, and Associate Professor Yasir Arafat from Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
The committee has been tasked with investigating the fire, determining accountability, and recommending measures to prevent future incidents and bolster security at the secretariat. A preliminary report is expected by 30 December, with a detailed report due within 10 working days. The directive also allows the committee to include additional members if needed.
A massive fire broke out at Building no 7 of the secretariat in the early hours of Thursday (26 December).
The fire required the concerted effort of 19 firefighting units to bring under control by 8:05am.
However, it was not completely extinguished until 11:45am, according to Fire Service official Talha Bin Jashim.
Building no 7, where the fire occurred, is a nine-storey bloc that houses key offices, including one occasionally used by the head of government.
