Bangabazar blaze: Fire service forms 5-member probe body

Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence formed a five-member investigation committee over the devastating fire at Bangabazar market.

The committee has been asked to submit a report within seven working days.

The committee will be headed by Director (operations and maintenance) of Fire Service Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury.

Other members of the committee are Dinmoni Sharma, deputy director (Dhaka division) of Fire Service; Md Shahin Alam, senior station officer of Siddikbazar fire station; Adhir Chandra, warehouse inspector; and Md Bazlur Rashid, deputy assistant director (zone-1, Dhaka) of Fire Service.

The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) also formed an eight-member committee to investigate the devastating fire at Bangabazar market that gutted around 3,500 shops.

The devastating fire that started at the capital's Bangabazar market this morning spread to adjacent buildings as well, including the Annexco Tower, and affected a portion of the Police Headquarters.

The blaze was brought under control around 12:36pm, but is yet to be extinguished fully.

At least 36 people have been injured and around 3,500 shops have also been gutted in the devastating fire. Some 5,000 traders have been affected.

The fire service had declared the Bangabazar apparel market "highly risky" in terms of fire safety on 1 April 2019, said Brig Gen Md Main Uddin, director general (DG) of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence.

"We even hung a warning banner following the declaration," he said while briefing media at the fire service headquarters in Bangabazar at around 1:20pm on Tuesday.

He said the market authority was served with official notice at least ten times.