After the fire broke out in the Secretariat, the power connection of all buildings except Building No. 4 has been disconnected. This is disrupting official work. Although the officials and employees have entered the Secretariat, everyone is seen returning home as there is no work.
There is no power connection in any building except Building No. 4 of the Secretariat till 12:30 pm on Thursday (December 26).
Related officials said that several ministries have been affected by the fire. There are offices of seven ministries in this 9-storey building, where no work is being done now. Ministry activities are also not going on in other buildings. The entire Secretariat has been left without power. Although generators are running in some places, there is no power in most places.
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Muhammad Zahed Kamal, Director General (DG) of the Fire Service and Civil Defense Department, told a press conference from the scene that 20 of their units and 211 fire personnel worked to control the fire. The power has been temporarily turned off to avoid accidents. He said that the sixth and seventh floors were most damaged, and the fire spread quickly through the power line.
Relatedly, the fire in Secretariat Building No. 7 in the capital's Segunbagicha was brought under control after about 6 and a half hours. The fire was brought under control around 8:15 am on Thursday (December 26). Fire Service Media Cell Officer Md. Shahjahan Sikder gave this information.
According to information provided by the Fire Service, they received the news of the fire at 1:52 am on Wednesday (December 25). Fire Service members reached the spot at 1:54 am the next day. Initially, eight units worked to control the fire. Later, the number of units was increased. Finally, 19 units of the Fire Service were working to control the fire. A member of the Fire Service was killed when a truck ran over him while trying to put out the fire. His name is Sohanuzzaman Nayan. Fire Service Director General (DG) Brigadier General Zahed Kamal gave this information in a briefing at the spot around 6:45 am today.
The Fire Service DG said that Sohanuzzaman Nayan was injured when he was hit by a truck while crossing the road to connect a water pump to a line. Doctors declared him dead after taking him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The extent of the damage in the fire was not known except for the death of a fire service member. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.