Secretariat fire: High-level probe body to submit report in 3 days

The government has formed a high-powered committee to investigate the Secretariat fire incident and asked it to submit a primary report within the next three days.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said this at a press briefing at Foreign Service Academy on Thursday (December 26).

A notification regarding the formation of the committee was issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on Thursday evening. At the same time, the notification mentioned that the committee formed by the Cabinet on Thursday morning has been cancelled.

“An emergency meeting was held with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in the chair where the decision was taken that the high-level probe body will submit its preliminary report on the fire within three days,” she said.

Rizwana said a senior secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs will lead the probe committee. Other members of the committee are: the secretary of the Housing and Public Works Ministry, the inspector general of police (IGP), chief of Fire Service and Civil Defense (member secretary), explosive expert from armed forces, and three experts (civil, chemical and electronic engineers) from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). 

There are important documents at the secretariat and that is why the government is giving the highest importance to the matter, she said. 

Replying a question, Rizwana said they need to wait until the probe committee's report is available to answer all the relevant questions. 

She said the media will get the copy of the probe report once the investigation is completed. 

Local Government Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, Home Adviser Lt. Gen. (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam were also present at the press briefing.