Fire at city BSEC building again

FE Report | Published: November 01, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

A devastating fire broke out Friday in the Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation (BSEC) building wherein a few media outlets are housed, in a repeat of blaze within seven years.      
A firsthand report said the fire gutted all the valuables on the eleventh floor housing Bengali newspaper Amar Desh online section's office.
Private television cannels Ntv and Rtv soon went off air as billowing smokes also engulfed the TV offices in the building at Karwanbazar.     
Eyewitnesses and firefighters said the fire originated at about 11:40am from the storeroom of the newspaper and soon engulfed the whole floor, burning all the valuables to ashes.
However, no one was hurt in the blaze as all the staff members in the 11-stroey building got down in time to avert the danger.
Nearly 30 organisations are housed in the corporation building.
On information, firemen from 20 units drove in and doused the fire within two hours with their frantic efforts.
 "There have been no casualties. The exact cause behind the fire will be ascertained after an investigation," said Brig-General Ali Ahmed Khan, director-general of Fire Service and Civil Defence, while talking to reporters at the spot.
 "The 11th floor of the building was completely gutted," he added.
The transmission of Rtv and Ntv was closed minutes following the fire incident after the main power source to the building was shut.    
Reporter of Ntv Maruf Rony said they could not take breath properly because of the gusts of black smoke coming out of the top floor.
 "Luckily, all of us got down from the building in time," he added.   
Amar Desh's Office Assistant Abbas Ali Hawlader said they were busy shifting their offices to the capital's Niketon area after paying all the dues to the building authority.
"Then we saw black smoke billowing from the storeroom. We tried hard to douse the flames with extinguishers, but failed as it was locked," he said.
Firemen were also seen dousing the blaze by spraying piped water from nearby buildings of the area.
NTV Chairman and Managing Director Mosaddak Ali Falu rushed to the scene and saw the damage caused by the fire.
"How can an institution progress if it is struck by fire incidents frequently?" He wondered.  
 "We even don't know recommendations in the probe report after the fire incident in 2007," he told the reporters, on a note of frustration.
Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu also visited the spot and said he would scrutinise the probe report in respect of the 2007 fire to see what measures were taken in line with their recommendations.
BSEC Chairman Md. Imtiaz Hossain Chowdhury said they had already formed a five-member body, led by its Director (Finance) Syed Mozammel Hoque, to investigate the incident in ten working days.
In fierce fire in the same building on Feb 26, 2007, three people were killed and 10 offices, including those of the NTV, RTV and Amar Desh, burnt.
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