Fire-ravaged secretariat building can be repaired: Public Works Official

The Bangladesh Secretariat on fire

Dhaka, Dec 30 - The Building No. 7 of the Secretariat, which was gutted by a devastating fire last week, can be repaired and made usable, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Sub-Assistant Engineer of the Public Works Department has said.

"We responded promptly after the fire broke out on Wednesday. Our team was on-site without delay, and we provided maximum support to the Fire Service from the Public Works Department," he told reporters  on the Secretariat premises on Monday.

The four-story building housed six ministries, with 40 to 50 rooms on each floor, the official  said, adding that four floors were damaged, with some parts completely burned while others sustained partial damage.

When asked whether the building could be used again, he said, “Several high-level teams have conducted investigations so far. Future actions will depend on the recommendations from expert committees. However, preliminary observations suggest the building can be repaired.”

The official added that the building has not yet been handed over to the Public Works Department by the law enforcement agencies. “Once the damage assessment report is provided, we’ll have a clearer idea of how long the repair process will take,” he said further.-UNB