[🇧🇩] Secretariat Fire----Indo-Awami Conspiracy

[Saif]

Fakhrul: it’s not unusual for government to be embarrassed by Secretariat fire

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said it is not unusual for the interim government to find itself in an embarrassing situation following the massive fire at the Secretariat. He called for a thorough investigation into the incident to identify those responsible, reports bdnews2

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Fakhrul: it’s not unusual for government to be embarrassed by Secretariat fire
FE Online Desk
Published :
Dec 26, 2024 21:15
Updated :
Dec 26, 2024 21:55

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said it is not unusual for the interim government to find itself in an embarrassing situation following the massive fire at the Secretariat.

He called for a thorough investigation into the incident to identify those responsible, reports bdnews24.com.

In a statement on Thursday, Fakhrul expressed concern over the devastating blaze and the loss of important documents in the fire.

He also raised alarms about the death of one person and the injuries of two to three others during the firefighting efforts.

“The fire at the Secretariat has caused extensive damage with critical documents reduced to ashes. It is not unusual that the interim government is facing an embarrassing situation in such a disaster,” Fakhrul said.

A fire broke out just before 2am on Thursday in Building No. 7 at the Secretariat, the nerve centre of government administration.

After nearly 10 hours of firefighting efforts, the fire was finally brought under control around noon on Thursday.

The blaze damaged floors 6, 7, 8, and 9, the Fire Service said. The eighth and ninth floors saw the most damage and most of the documents there were burnt.

To investigate the cause and origin of the fire, the government has formed a high-level committee, headed by a senior secretary, with instructions to submit a preliminary report within three days.

In his statement, Fakhrul demanded a proper investigation into the fire, holding those responsible accountable, and urged the government to provide the family of the dead and those injured with compensation.​

 

[Saif]

No lenience for those who to conspire to foil us: Asif Mahmud

The plotters have not stopped, the interim government’s local government, rural development and cooperatives and youth and sports affairs adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said on Thursday

en.prothomalo.com

No lenience for those who to conspire to foil us: Asif Mahmud
Special Correspondent
Dhaka
Updated: 26 Dec 2024, 19: 14

Local government, rural development and cooperatives and youth and sports affairs adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain visits the fire ravaged section of the secretariat on 26 December 2024 Local government ministry

The plotters have not stopped, the interim government’s local government, rural development and cooperatives and youth and sports affairs adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain said on Thursday.

“There will be no respite for those who would remain involved in the conspiracies to foil us,” he said after visiting the fire ravaged section of building no. 7 of the secretariat today.

The adviser returned to Dhaka postponing his visit to northern districts of the country hearing about the fire at secretariat in the morning, said a media release of the local government ministry.

Speaking about the fire, the adviser said they were working on the misappropriation of funds of the local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry in the past. They also found evidence of looting of billions of taka, the release further added.

The amount of loss from the fire could not be ascertained as yet, it read.

The adviser has directed to form ministry-wise inquiry committees to find out the losses and source of fire.

According to the fire service department, the fire broke out at 1:50 am. The fire fighters reached the spot at around 1:54 am and the blaze was brought under control at 8:05 am.

At first eight fire fighting units were working to extinguish the fire. More units were engaged later due to the magnitude of the fire. A total of 19 fire fighting units were deployed to douse the blaze.

The fire broke out at the 6th floor of the building first and it spread to the 7th and 8th floors.​

 

[Saif]

Secretariat entry passes for all private individuals cancelled

Journalists' accreditation cards also cancelled until further notice

www.thedailystar.net

Secretariat entry passes for all private individuals cancelled
Journalists' accreditation cards also cancelled until further notice

Bangladesh Secretariat. Photo: Collected

The government has suspended entry passes of all visitors, including journalists, to the Bangladesh Secretariat, citing "security concerns" following a recent fire incident.

A notice issued last night, signed by Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, special assistant to the chief adviser for Home Affairs, announced the immediate cancellation of all temporary entry passes for private individuals.

The directive specifies that only holders of permanent entry passes, issued under the Digital Access Control System, as well as government officers and employees with valid temporary passes, will be permitted entry.

Journalists, who previously accessed the Secretariat using accreditation cards, are also cancelled until further notice.

Individuals affected by the cancellations have been given a 15-day window to apply for new temporary entry passes through the special cell located at Bangladesh Police, Crime Command and Control Center, DMP, 15 Abdul Gani Road, according to the notification.

The decision comes after a fire at the Secretariat raised concerns about the facility's security, prompting enhanced measures to safeguard the premises.​

 

[Saif]

Secretariat fire sabotage or accident still not known

Says fire service DG

www.thedailystar.net

Secretariat fire sabotage or accident still not known
Says fire service DG

Smoke billows out of a building of the Secretariat as firefighters battle the fires that broke out early yesterday. Security personnel stand guard outside. Photo: Star/fire service

The Cabinet Division-formed investigation committee today began probing the fire that ravaged four floors of a Bangladesh Secretariat building, destroying important files, documents, computers, furniture, and other materials from six divisions across five ministries.

The fire, which was noticed around 1:52am on Thursday in two sections of the nine-storey Building No 7 within the highly secured Secretariat complex, caused significant damage to walls and floors.

It affected the Road Transport and Highways Division, two divisions under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives, the Posts and Telecommunications Division, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

This morning, members of the eight-member investigation committee visited the affected building and later held a meeting.

"The investigation process is ongoing. The committee will hold another meeting tomorrow (today)," Brigadier General Muhammad Zahid Kamal, director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence and member secretary of the committee, told The Daily Star.

He said they could not determine whether it was an act of sabotage or an accident during the primary investigation, expressing his unwillingness to comment further until the investigation is complete.

Formed on Thursday, the committee is tasked with identifying the source and cause of the fire, determining any personal or professional responsibility, and providing recommendations to prevent such incidents and improve overall security of the Secretariat.

The committee has been asked to submit a preliminary investigation report by December 30 and a complete report within the following 10 working days.

Nineteen firefighting units extinguished the blaze after 10 hours of intense effort. A firefighter setting up hose pipes was run over and killed by a truck on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali also visited the damaged building today, accompanied by members of the DMP Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit.

Also, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) continued its forensic investigation for a second day.

CID Inspector Prashanta Kumar Debnath said evidence collected from the site on Thursday was being supplemented with a broader search around Building 7.

A secretary from one of the fire-affected ministries said he sent a representative to assess the situation today, who reported to him that the affected building is currently without electricity and water supply.

He said they are planning to have staff from the affected ministries and divisions continue their work in other departments under his ministry. "We are also considering whether we can use some rooms from other ministries in the Secretariat," he told The Daily Star, requesting anonymity.

Meanwhile, the fire service deployed an additional unit today to prevent any further fire incidents.​

 

[Saif]

Secretariat fire: Probe begins, no clues yet

A high-powered Cabinet Division committee on Friday started its investigation into the fire incident at the Bangladesh Secretariat that gutted one of its buildings housing offices of five ministries, destroying and damaging numerous documents.

www.newagebd.net

Secretariat fire: Probe begins, no clues yet
Staff Correspondent 27 December, 2024, 23:38

An investigator on Friday inspects a damaged site of the secretariat in Dhaka that saw a devastating fire early Thursday. | Md Saurav

A high-powered Cabinet Division committee on Friday started its investigation into the fire incident at the Bangladesh Secretariat that gutted one of its buildings housing offices of five ministries, destroying and damaging numerous documents.

In the morning, probe committee members visited the damaged Building No 7 and held a meeting.

They are also scheduled to have another meeting today, committee members said.

Religious affairs adviser AFM Khalid Hossain, meanwhile on Friday, at a programme held in Chattogram city said that after assuming responsibility the interim government was facing challenges one after another.

Citing the fire incident at the secretariat, he alleged that the government was constantly facing hurdles through agitations related to numerous issues and sabotage attempts.

The adviser warned that no saboteurs would be spared, read a press release issued by the religious affairs ministry.

A fire broke out in Building No 7 at the secretariat, the administrative headquarters of the government in the capital, gutting offices and documents of five ministries early Thursday.

Fire service doused the fire in 10 hours while one firefighter was killed in a road accident during operations to extinguish the fire with four others received injuries.

Environment adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, at a press conference on Thursday, announced the formation of a high-powered eight-member committee to trace the source and cause of the fire.

The committee would submit a preliminary report on the fire incident in the next three days, she added.

Home ministry senior secretary Nasimul Ghani is heading the probe committee with fire service and civil defence director general Brigadier General Muhammad Jahed Kamal being the member secretary.

The committee’s other members are inspector general of police Baharul Alam; three Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology teachers as explosive experts—civil engineering professor Tanvir Manjur, chemical engineering associate professor Md Easir Arafat Khan, and electrical and electronic engineering associate professor Yeasir Arafat; housing and public works ministry secretary Md Hamidur Rahman Khan; and Brigadier General Mahbubur Russel.

Besides the cabinet division committee, four other probe committees have been formed in the incident—the labour ministry formed two, the Local Government Division formed one, and the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division formed the rest one.

Since Friday morning Bangladesh Army, police and Armed Police Battalion personnel were seen deployed surrounding the secretariat.

Fire Service and Civil Defence chief Brigadier General Muhammad Jahed Kamal, while leaving the secretariat after their visit of the place of incident, told reporters that the committee was not yet in a position to comment whether the fire was an act of sabotage or not.

He also mentioned that the committee members would meet in another meeting today.

According to witnesses’ accounts, the fire originated at the west part of Building No 7 at about 2:00am on Thursday and just after that a fire was also spotted at the east part of the building.

The offices of posts and telecommunications adviser Nahid Islam and local government and youth and sports adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan were located in the opposite ends of the building.

The fire completely gutted the offices and documents of three ministries.

The offices and documents of the two other ministries, labour and employment, and road transport and bridges, were also severely damaged.​

 

[Saif]

Adequate investigation of secretariat fire a must

THE fire that broke out in a building inside the Bangladesh secretariat early December 26, burning down offices and documents of five ministries, is unfortunate because this happened...

www.newagebd.net

Adequate investigation of secretariat fire a must
28 December, 2024, 00:00

THE fire that broke out in a building inside the Bangladesh secretariat early December 26, burning down offices and documents of five ministries, is unfortunate because this happened in the administrative headquarters of the government which should have been well guarded against such incidents. The fire broke out on the sixth floor of Building 7 and damaged the eighth and the ninth floor the most, destroying almost everything stored there, as the fire spread upwards. Nineteen fire engines took about 10 hours to completely put out the flames. The army joined in the operation. The fire broke out first in the west of the building, as witness accounts say, about 2:00am the east of the building caught fire immediately after the first fire. The offices and documents of three ministries — the posts and telecommunications, the local government, rural development and cooperatives and the youth and sports ministry — were completely burnt. Offices and documents of the labour and employment ministry and the road transport and bridges ministry were damaged. The offices of the five ministries would be temporarily relocated. The fire warrants a serious, adequate investigation. The government and its agencies have so far set up five committees to investigate the fire and the extent of damage, with the main committee set to submit a preliminary report in three days.

But allegations have already surfaced about the fire having been an act of sabotage because of the way the fire broke out at two ends of the building about the same time. The fact that the ministries — such as the posts and telecommunications, the local government, rural development and cooperatives and the road transport and bridges ministry — where corruption and embezzlement have been widely reported during the 15 years of the Awami League government, toppled in a mass uprising on August 5, having been burnt tends to lend credence to the allegations. The adviser for the local government, rural development and cooperatives ministry to the interim government also says that work continues to identify corruption and embezzlement of funds in the ministry as the evidence of embezzlement of billions of takas has already been found. As the interim government is working to identify corruption of the previous government and work out ways to stop the recurrence of such corruption, it is imperative for the government to find out whether the fire was set and, if it was so, to find out the quarters having been at play. Corruption usually leaves a trail as it cannot happen in a single place. The government should, therefore, double its efforts to collect the evidence of corruption from all other places that may have the trail and proceed with its work against corruption.

Some of the committees set up are meant to establish the extent of damage. They should also collect evidence of corruption from all other possible places. The government should, meanwhile, adequately investigate the fire to establish any element of sabotage and to hold quarters responsible for the incident to account.​

 

[Saif]

Investigation team inspects scene of Secretariat fire

Members of the investigation committee formed to probe the cause of the fire in Building No. 7 of the Secretariat have inspected the damaged building. After the inspection on Friday, Brig Gen Muhammad Jahed Kamal – director general of the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence and memb

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Investigation team inspects scene of Secretariat fire
bdnews24.com
Published :
Dec 27, 2024 16:04
Updated :
Dec 27, 2024 16:04

Members of the investigation committee formed to probe the cause of the fire in Building No. 7 of the Secretariat have inspected the damaged building.

After the inspection on Friday, Brig Gen Muhammad Jahed Kamal – director general of the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence and member secretary of the panel – said that the investigation committee has started its work.

In response to a question from the media in front of the Secretariat, he said: "We are not in a position to comment on whether the fire was sabotage or an accident. We have come to inspect the site. The matter is under observation. The rest is subject to the investigation."

Nineteen units of the Fire Service rushed to the scene after receiving a report of a fire at the Secretariat at 1:52am on Thursday. Although the fire was brought under control at 8:05am, it was completely extinguished around 11:45am.

The fire, which burnt for about 10 hours, damaged four floors of the building - the 6th, the 7th, the 8th, and the 9th.

The offices of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Road Transport and Highways Division, Ministry of Finance, Finance Division, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Local Government Division, Rural Development and Cooperatives Division, Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Posts and Telecommunications Division and the Ministry of Youth and Sports are also located in the nine-storey bloc.

The 8th and 9th floors suffered the most damage, with most of the documents there burnt.

Due to the fire, the power supply was cut off for most of the Secretariat buildings throughout the majority of the day on Thursday. Although officials and employees went to the Secretariat, many could not enter their offices or do their work and later left. Practically, the incident brought all of the regular activities at the nerve centre of the Bangladesh administration to a halt.

Speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Thursday evening, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, advisor to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, and Ministry of Youth and Sports, said: “We have started the process of relocating other government departments to places where there is space to keep the programmes running. In the meantime, wherever there is space, the programmes of the ministries can be conducted temporarily for the time being.”

The government formed a high-level committee headed by a senior secretary to find out the cause and source of the fire at the Secretariat. Although a seven-member panel was initially formed, it was later dissolved. A new committee was formed and asked to submit a preliminary report within the next three days and to submit a full report “as soon as possible,” said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, on Thursday.

The committee is chaired by the senior secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The members are the secretary of housing and public works, the IGP of police, the director general of the Fire Service and Civil Defence (also the member secretary), an explosives expert from the armed forces, and three experts from BUET - a civil engineer, a chemical engineer and an electrical engineer.​

 

[Saif]

Secretariat fire: Restriction on journo’s entry temporary

After journalists expressed outrage over the decision to curb their access to the hub of bureaucracy, the home ministry yesterday stated that restricting journalists’ entry to the Secretariat was a temporary measure taken for the sake of ongoing investigations into Thursday’s fire.

www.thedailystar.net

Secretariat fire: Restriction on journo’s entry temporary
Says home ministry after journos express outrage

After journalists expressed outrage over the decision to curb their access to the hub of bureaucracy, the home ministry yesterday stated that restricting journalists' entry to the Secretariat was a temporary measure taken for the sake of ongoing investigations into Thursday's fire.

The journalists expressed their dismay on social media and a faction of Dhaka Union of Journalists termed the restriction "a threat to independent journalism".

A press release of the home ministry said a "positive decision" will be made in this regard upon discussions with the ministry of information.

Meanwhile, the chief adviser's press wing yesterday said access to the secretariat has been restricted "in view of the safety and security of the key point installation."

A devastating fire ravaged parts of Building-7 at the Secretariat complex for almost 10 hours on Thursday.

A firefighter died after being hit by a truck while carrying a hose pipe across Abdul Gani Road at the time.

According to the press wing, the government will soon review the accreditation cards issued to journalists and invite fresh applications from local and international news outlets.

According to an office order of the home ministry, a special cell has been formed at the Crime and Control Center to review applications for temporary entry passes to the Secretariat.

In another development, Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, deputy press secretary to the chief adviser, said no journalist's press accreditation card had been cancelled following the fire.

"Some people ask the government to be tough and then create a ruckus when it becomes even slightly tough. This must stop. This double standard has started again regarding the restriction on journalists' access to the secretariat," Azad wrote on Facebook yesterday.

"It's an open secret that the Bangladesh Secretariat turned into a marketplace for middlemen. No one except those people should have any reason to be worried about the government's latest decision.

"We believe this will make journalists' jobs easier. Even though there might be temporary inconveniences, it will ultimately benefit everyone. That's why everyone's cooperation is being sought."

On Friday night, the home ministry in a media statement said entry to the secretariat for all, except the secretariat staff and government employees, was banned for an indefinite period.

Even journalists with accreditation cards will not be able to enter the building until further notice, it read.

In the interest of increasing the overall security of the secretariat, all types of temporary entry passes issued to non-government employees have been cancelled, it said.​

 

[Saif]

Secretariat fire demands answers and action

How can such a vital government establishment be so unsafe?

www.thedailystar.net

Secretariat fire demands answers and action
How can such a vital government establishment be so unsafe?

VISUAL: STAR

We are alarmed by the massive fire that ravaged parts of a nine-storey building within the Secretariat complex in Dhaka. According to a report by this daily, the fire—which broke out in the early hours of Thursday—persisted for nearly 10 hours, thus fully or partially damaging the offices of at least five ministries and divisions across multiple floors. Among the casualties were not just furniture and office equipment, but many documents and records as well. Tragically, a firefighter also died while setting up hose pipes as he was run over by a truck before traffic to the area was closed. The incident has naturally shocked many, as it lays bare the lack of security in one of the country's most important public infrastructures.

The question is, was this merely a result of electrical malfunctions, or was there something more sinister? Since the incident, a number of theories have surfaced as officials and the public try to wrap their head around what happened. One theory that is making the rounds at present is a suspicion of foul play, fuelled particularly by Adviser Asif Mahmud's revelation that evidence of significant financial irregularities was among the lost documents. The student platform that spearheaded the July uprising also called the incident "an act of sabotage," while Bangladesh Administrative Service Association hinted at deliberate arson—allegedly orchestrated by corrupt bureaucrats linked with Awami League to derail ongoing reform efforts and destabilise the government. However, calmer heads within the administration want to wait before pointing fingers as investigations are underway.

Regardless of the suspicions floating around, one thing that we can say with certainty is that there were lapses in fire security that contributed to the catastrophe. Reports reveal that firefighting efforts at the Secretariat complex were hindered by significant logistical challenges both outside and within the building, delaying firefighters' response and efforts. We also need to talk about why, in this day and age, a digital record-keeping system that could minimise the loss of important records remains underutilised. This may be a testament to the corruption and inefficiencies that plagued the previous regime's digitisation drive, but a transition to digital archiving and communications should have been a priority for the interim government. Going forward, we must address these safety issues to safeguard critical infrastructure and information.

As we await the findings of investigations, which we expect the probe committees will deliver as soon as possible, it is vital that the authorities learn from this latest setback for the administration that is already struggling amid protracted unrest over civil service reforms and decisions surrounding promotions and placements. The Secretariat also must review security protocols thoroughly and adopt robust fire safety measures. Whether the fire was a result of conspiracy or complacency, it has exposed vulnerabilities that cannot be taken lightly. We must prevent a repeat of such incidents in the future.​

 

[Saif]

Secretariat fire: Five ministries resume work at new locations today

Uncertainty and fear have gripped officers and employees as offices of the five ministries, hit by a devastating fire past week, are scheduled to resume their work at new locations on a temporary basis from today.

www.newagebd.net

Secretariat fire: Five ministries resume work at new locations today
Staff Correspondent 29 December, 2024, 00:54

Uncertainty and fear have gripped officers and employees as offices of the five ministries, hit by a devastating fire past week, are scheduled to resume their work at new locations on a temporary basis from today.

Advisers to some of the ministries said that they would resume their work upon recovering documents from central server system and departments under the secretariat.

Environment adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan told New Age on Saturday that they were expecting that the high-powered eight-member committee to trace the source and cause of the fire would submit a preliminary report on the fire incident.

‘If the report is conclusive we will share it with you,’ she said, adding, ‘If it requires further investigation then the preliminary report will not be shared.’

The committee was formed at an urgent meeting called by the chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Thursday after a fire broke out in Building No 7 at the secretariat, the administrative headquarters of the government in the capital, gutting offices and documents of five ministries earlier that day.

From today also journalists’ entry into the secretariat using their accreditation cards has been suspended and all temporary entry passes for people in different categories have been cancelled due to safety and security concerns following the fire incident.

The government would soon review the existing press accreditation cards and invite fresh applications from all local and international news outlets to issue new accreditation cards, the chief adviser’s press wing in a statement said on Saturday.

No case was filed in this regard yet.

The offices of posts and telecommunications adviser Nahid Islam and local government, rural development and co-operatives and youth and sports adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan were located on the two sides of the building and gutted in the fire.

Along with the offices and documents of these three ministries offices and documents of the two other ministries — labour and employment, and road transport and bridges — were also gutted in the incident.

Retired brigadier general M Sakhawat Hussain, adviser to the labour and employment ministry, told New Age that his office in the building 7 was not affected in the fire.

According to the ministry officials, the affected ministries would be relocated to the Sramo Bhaban today where they would start work.

Replying to a question on resuming works without documents and logistic supports, Sakhawat Hussain said that at the secretariat all ministries were connected with a central server.

He said that after going to his office tomorrow and seeing everything he could say how they would resume their regular work.

Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the road transport and bridges, railways and power ministries, told New Age that 10 rooms at Rail Bhaban were being allocated for the Road Transport and Highways Division secretary and additional secretary level officials.

‘They will start office from there tomorrow,’ he said, adding, ‘The rest of the officials and employees will do offices at the DTCA Bhaban in the capital.’

He said that they would recover the documents which were sent to the ministry from different departments under it and would work on these.

In a press release, issued by the local government ministry on Saturday, adviser Asif Mahmud said that from today the ministry would start doing official work in the vacant rooms in the Dhaka South City Corporation Nagar Bhaban.

‘Conspiracy to disrupt the ongoing people-friendly development activities of the ministry and to destroy the information of the corruption of the past fascist era will not be allowed to implement,’ he said, instructing all officials to speed up the activities of the ministry with more determination than before.

Youth and sports ministry public relations officer Md Nur Alam said that a decision was taken that affected officials of the ministry would be relocated to the National Sports Council from today.

The adviser would work from the DSCC Nagar Bhaban, he added.

The Posts and Telecommunications Division, under the posts, telecommunications and information technology ministry, deputy secretary Mohammad Moklesur Rahman said that the affected ministry officials would be relocated to the General Post Office from today while the adviser Nahid Islam would work from the information and broadcasting ministry in the secretariat.

The home affairs ministry on Friday night issued a press release which said that the government suspended journalists’ entry into the secretariat using their accreditation cards and cancelled all temporary entry passes for common people to increase the overall security measures in the secretariat area.

It said that the temporary secretariat entry passes—except for those issued to government officials and employees working in the Secretariat—had been cancelled.

On Saturday, in a statement the chief adviser’s press wing said that the decision to restrict journalists’ access to the secretariat was taken in view of the safety and security of the Key Point Installation.

‘In the meantime, temporary daily access cards will be issued by respective ministries for any press events,’ it continued.​