A fire broke out at Building 7 of the Secretariat, the administrative hub of the country, late Wednesday night. After six hours of relentless efforts, firefighters managed to bring it under control by Thursday morning, allowing interim government advisers to visit the affected site.

Among those inspecting the damage were Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Public Works Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, and Women and Children Affairs Adviser Sharmin S. Murshid. They were joined by Special Assistant Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, Public Works Secretary Md. Hamidur Rahman Khan, Labor Secretary A.H.M. Shafiquzzaman, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam, and other senior officials.

The fire reportedly started around 1:54 AM, prompting the Secretariat’s on-site fire service unit to begin firefighting efforts. However, as the flames intensified, 19 additional fire units were deployed to the scene to contain the blaze.

Tragically, Sohanuzzaman Noyon, a firefighter, lost his life while responding to the emergency. He was struck by a truck while crossing the road to connect a water supply line. He succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.