Why fire erupt at Secretariat after Hasina’s documents were called, questions Rizvi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has expressed suspicion over the timing of the fire at the Secretariat, which occurred shortly after the Anti-Corruption Commission, or ACC, sought documents related to corruption allegations against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and others involved in eight key projects during the Awami League government.

Speaking at an event at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity in Segunbagicha on Thursday, Rizvi questioned whether the fire, which occurred late at night, was connected to the government's request for these crucial documents.

He said, “Yesterday (Wednesday), we saw in the newspapers that several important documents were requested by the government. And right after that, the fire broke out in the Secretariat at night. This has raised a significant question among the public.”

Rizvi called for an independent investigation into the fire, suggesting that it could be part of a larger scheme to cover up the documents, reports bdnews24.com.

He pointed to the timing of the document request and the subsequent fire, saying, “One event raises doubts about the other.

“We are deeply concerned about the incidents unfolding around us. This fear is not personal but stems from concern for the state.”

He said similar incidents occurred in the past, where documents went missing or fires broke out when there was a public protest against secretaries or ministers.

The fire, which started in Building No. 7 at the Secretariat late Thursday night, was brought under control after 10 hours by 19 units of the Fire Service.

The offices of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Road Transport and Highways Division, Ministry of Finance, Finance Division, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Local Government Division, Rural Development and Cooperatives Division, Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, Posts and Telecommunications Division and the Ministry of Youth and Sports are also located in the nine-storey bloc.

The blaze damaged floors 6, 7, 8, and 9, the Fire Service said. The eighth and ninth floors saw the most damage and most of the documents there were burnt.

Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain took to social media with suspicions of a "conspiracy" behind the incident.

He wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday: “We have been working on the embezzlement and corruption at the Ministry of Local Government Rural Development and Co-operatives during the last government’s rule. We found proof of embezzlement of billions of taka.

“We’ve yet to learn the extent of the damage caused by the fire. Whoever is involved in the conspiracy to derail us (interim government) won’t be spared.”