Loose electrical connection causes Secretariat fire: Probe committee

The committee formed by the government to probe the Secretariat fire did not find any indication of sabotage. According to their report, loose electrical connection caused Secretariat fire.

The probe committee headed by Senior Home Affairs Secretary Nasimul Gani handed over the report to Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday evening.

A a press briefing, Maksud Helali, a former professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at BUET and a member of the investigation committee, said samples were collected from three places. No sign of explosives was found. The fire started due to an electrical fault.

The committee is expected to submit the full report within the next 10 working days.

The fire broke out on the midnight of December 25 at the secretariat's building 7, severely damaging floors six, seven, eight and nine and sparking widespread speculation about its origin.

The government also formed an eight-member committee to investigate the fire.