Smoke billowed, as a fire broke out at Building 7 of the Bangladesh Secretariat in the city in the early hours of Thursday. — FE Photo 
A 'mysterious' midnight fire burnt several ministries' offices in the high-security Bangladesh Secretariat while a firefighter was crushed under a truck on the outside road during firefighting early Thursday.
Actual cause of the incident -- whether an accidental fire or arson -- remains cloaked in mystery. The government formed a high-powered probe body to dig out the factors behind the fire.
And as shocks and surprises went flying at daybreak over the happening on the night after a national holiday -- incidentally, in the wake of a chain of unrest -- the post-uprising government convened a cabinet meeting to discuss why so happened and follow-up actions.
According to fire-service office, the fire broke out on the 6th floor of the building first at around 1:52 am and later spread to the 7th and 8th floors of the building.
"The firefighting unit located at the secretariat started dousing the flames at around 1:54 am. Later, a total of 19 firefighter units drove in following the intensity of fire," says a firsthand account by the firemen.
Inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence media cell Anwarul Islam said a total of 19 firefighter units worked to tame the flames and brought the blaze under control at around 8:05 am.
During an on-site visit, it was observed that nothing remained intact on these floors -- furniture and internal decorations, documents and so have been reduced to wrecks.
The affected floors housed key government offices, including the Ministries of Youth and Sports, and Labour and Employment, and Posts and Telecommunications Division, Local Government Division, Rural Development and Cooperatives Division, and Road Transport and Highways Division.
Following the fire, all gates of the secretariat were closed on Thursday morning.
However, officials and employees began arriving. Law-enforcement agencies did not allow anyone to enter at first so they had to wait outside the secretariat. Around 9:15am, the gate no 5 of the secretariat was opened and officials and employees began to get in the secretariat at the time.
Officials and employees were raising questions as to how the fire could break out in such a high-security area of government's administrative headquarters.
According to the cabinet division, the seven-member committee was formed Thursday to investigate the incident of fire. As per office order, more members can be co-opted, "if necessary".
The probe committee has been asked to submit a report on its findings and possible deterrence within next 7 working days.
Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Mohammad Khaled Rahim is the convener of the probe panel and a representative of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works is the member-secretary.
Home Affairs Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, a retired army officer, said whether the fire incident at the Bangladesh Secretariat is an act of "sabotage or not to be known after investigation".
Speaking to the media at the secretariat, he also said, "The source of fire will also be revealed through the investigation."
Terming the secretariat part of "conspiracy" to undermine the interim government, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan said later in the day that whoever involved in the incident "wouldn't be spared".
The student representative in the interim government warned of taking stern legal action against those found responsible for the incident.
"Whoever involved in this incident (fire), we wouldn't spare them even an iota," he told the media after visiting the site, left in ashes in the fire.
Meanwhile, labour ministry formed two separate committees to determine the losses inflicted on the ministry by the secretariat fire. Each committee comprises five members tasked to find out the losses of important documents and records and prepare a list.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) issued two office orders in this regard.
One committee, headed by MoLE joint secretary Begum Morsheda Akter, has been tasked to prepare a list of important documents and records that might have been damaged and assess the losses.
"The committee will have to submit its report within seven working days, detailing findings and recommendations to prevent such incidents in the future," says the ministry statement.
The other members of the committee include deputy secretary Md Ashraf Hossain, senior assistant secretaries Purobi Goldar and Md Masum and assistant secretary Mostafizur Rahman.
The other five-member committee with joint secretary Abdus Samad Al Azad as convener has been formed to determine the losses of property like furniture, electronic devices and others of the ministry.
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