A fire that broke out at Building No. 7 of the Secretariat on Thursday, December 26, has raised concerns of a potential act of sabotage. Senior Chief Petty Officer (PO) Aminul Islam of the Bangladesh Navy, who was deployed to assist the firefighting operation, suggested the possibility of a deliberate act. “The fire spread across different locations, including the sixth and ninth floors, as well as the middle floors. A short circuit fire doesn’t usually ignite in multiple places at once. This could be planned,” he commented while speaking to reporters at the scene.
The fire originated on the sixth floor of the seven-story building and subsequently spread to the upper floors, leaving the seventh and eighth floors heavily damaged. According to Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, the Adviser for Home Affairs, “The fire began on the sixth floor and extended to two upper floors. The lower floors were not significantly affected.”
Naval personnel, along with the fire service, were deployed to bring the situation under control. “Wherever the fire broke out, everything has been burnt. We’re still in the process of identifying the extent of the damage,” Aminul Islam added.
Volunteers assisting the firefighters reported working through the night to contain the blaze. “The sixth, seventh, and eighth floors are completely charred,” a volunteer said. The Home Affairs Adviser personally inspected the scene to assess the damage.
Firefighters revealed that two floors were entirely burnt, and one floor was partially damaged. These floors housed offices overseen by two advisers to the interim government—Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan. Nahid Islam, the Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications, and ICT, operated from part of the seventh floor, while the Ministry Secretary, Dr. Md. Mushfiqur Rahman, worked on the fifth floor, which remained largely unaffected.
Externally, broken windows on the eighth floor were visible as rescue operations were conducted. At least 4-5 air conditioning units were reportedly destroyed.
Expressing suspicion of sabotage, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, Adviser for Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives, wrote on Facebook, “The extent of the damage is yet to be determined. Those involved in this conspiracy to undermine us will not be spared. I am currently in Nilphamari but will return to Dhaka as soon as possible.”
He further stated, “We were investigating cases of embezzlement and corruption in the Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives Ministry, uncovering evidence of misappropriation amounting to several thousand crore taka. Those attempting to thwart our efforts will face accountability.”
The investigation into the incident is ongoing as authorities attempt to determine the cause of the fire and assess the damage.
