Delay in extinguishing fire raises public concerns

The Fire Service Civil Defence said that a fire broke out in Building 7 at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Abdul Gani Road in Dhaka at 1:50am early Thursday (26 December), and it took nearly six hours to bring the fire under control.

Questions have arisen among the public about why it took so long to extinguish the fire at the administrative hub, located just a few hundred metres from the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters.

Despite there being no people inside the building at the time of the fire, the delay in extinguishing it has sparked comments in the public arena.

Concerns were also raised about the role of law enforcement and police after a firefighter lost his life in an accident involving a truck during the fire extinguishing operation.

Talha Bin Jasim, a media officer at Fire Service and Civil Defence, said that the team reached the secretariat's main gate within two minutes of receiving the alert and claimed there was no delay in the response of the force.

Several Fire Service personnel told The Business Standard on Thursday that they faced numerous obstacles while fighting the fire.

A firefighter with over a decade of experience handling major fire incidents revealed to The Business Standard that the entry of fire service vehicles through the secretariat gates was challenging.

He said, "Only two turntable ladders [TTLs] could enter to extinguish the fire. If more TTLs could have been brought in, the fire could have been controlled sooner."

The secretariat has five gates, but only two are accessible to fire service vehicles, and even those pose difficulties for larger vehicles. One fire service vehicle reportedly broke down while attempting to enter through gate 4.

After extinguishing the fire, removing the vehicles from the secretariat also proved problematic, with damage caused to sections of the walls during the process.

A fire service official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that an expansion of the secretariat gates had been suggested multiple times in the past, but no action was taken.

Officials said that the extensive use of wood for aesthetic purposes in the secretariat contributed significantly to the fire's spread.

They said that despite prior warnings, the woodwork continued. Besides, every room in the building was locked, requiring firefighters to break locks and windows to access the interior.

Several fire service officers involved in the operation said the challenges they faced caused delays in extinguishing the fire.

During discussions about the difficulties in bringing fire service vehicles inside, Public Works Secretary Hamidur Rahman Khan told the media that the moving corridor in front of Building 6 would be dismantled.

During the funeral prayers for firefighter Noyon, who was killed in the truck accident, Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that those responsible for the incident would face justice.

"My worker died. This failure is mine. Justice will surely be served," he said, adding that the truck driver had already been arrested and would be brought under the law.

When asked about the role of the police in allowing the truck into a critical area during the fire, which led to Noyon's death, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury acknowledged it as a failure. "Trucks should not have been allowed to move in that area, yet they did. However, we have already caught the driver and will take legal action," he said.

Responding to questions about the delay in extinguishing the fire, the home affairs adviser said that the time required depends on several factors, including the nature of the fire, the accessibility of fire vehicles, water supply and other obstacles.

He said the fire service personnel put in their best efforts, with 19 fire units working together to bring the fire under control.