Important Documents Burnt in Secretariat Fire, Mystery Unresolved After 10 Hours

Staff Reporter

The fire that broke out in the Secretariat was brought under control by the Fire Service after nearly 10 hours. During the fire, crucial documents from several important ministries were completely destroyed.

The fire affected parts of the building housing the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Labor and Employment, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Internal Revenue Division of the Ministry of Finance, and the Financial Institutions Division.

Officials confirmed that offices under these ministries were completely burnt. However, by 11:00 AM on Thursday, December 26, the Fire Service and Civil Defense confirmed that the fire was extinguished and no further flames were present.

The fire had started at 2:00 AM on Wednesday, December 25, and was fully extinguished by just before noon on Thursday, taking nearly 10 hours to control. Initially, at 8:05 AM on Thursday, the Fire Service reported that the fire had been brought under control, although some areas of Secretariat Building 7 were still burning.

The fire broke out at 1:50 AM on Wednesday, and the Fire Service was alerted at 1:52 AM. Firefighters reached the scene at 1:54 AM. The Fire Service faced challenges as their large vehicles could not access the building.

Brigadier General Muhammad Jahid Kamal, Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defense, stated that the fire spread quickly due to the interior decorations and electrical wiring inside the Secretariat. He added that 211 firefighters from 19 units were deployed to fight the fire, but due to space constraints, only 10 units could work efficiently.

In the morning, the event was inspected by the Home Affairs Advisor, Lieutenant General (retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. He informed the media that a high-level investigation committee had been formed, and the investigation would determine if the fire was an act of sabotage.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Mohammad Aminul Islam speculated that the fire could have been planned. He observed that the fire did not start from a short circuit and appeared to have ignited from multiple locations.

Aminul Islam further explained that if the fire had been caused by a short circuit, it would have started from one area. He suggested that the fire might have been set intentionally, though the exact details remain unknown at this stage.

Social media has been abuzz with rumors regarding the fire. Several images and videos surfaced showing Hasib, an organizer of the government-opposed movement from July-August, near the Secretariat just minutes after the fire broke out. A Fire Service worker was killed in a vehicle accident near Hasib, leading to questions about why he was present at the scene so late at night.

Notably, Hasib had previously stated in a private TV talk show that the movement would not have succeeded without incidents like police killings and fires in the metro. Netizens have raised concerns about his presence at the scene so soon after the fire started, with some calling for him to be questioned.

As news of the fire spread, the area around the Secretariat became crowded, with officers and staff arriving. By 8:05 AM, when the fire was under control, the 5th gate of the Secretariat was opened for staff to enter. However, the electricity supply to Buildings 6 and 7 remained cut off, halting official work.