Staff Reporter :Another devastating fire broke out at the BSEC (Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation) Bhaban in the city’s Karwan Bazar that houses a number of media outlets, including Amar Desh and two private TV channels– RTV and NTV. The fire was doused after nearly two hours of efforts. But, the 11th floor of the building, where the office of Bengali daily ‘Amar Desh’ is situated, was completely gutted. However, there was no casualty in the incident. The fire originated from the office of ‘Amar Desh’ while the employees were shifting their office to Niketan area in the city. The fire broke out on the top floor of the 11-storey building at noon. After visiting the spot, Brig Gen Ali Ahmed Khan, Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defense, said that on information, 21 firefighting units rushed to the spot and put out the blaze after two hours of hectic efforts. The reason behind the fire and the extent of losses caused by it could not yet be ascertained, he said.Ahmed Ali, an electrician of the daily, said that they were dismantling some electrical gadgets from the floor when they suddenly saw smoke billowing out of a warehouse. The Amar Desh authorities and some others raised question over the incident, saying that is a ‘mysterious’ incident after a devastating fire incident at the same building on February 26 in 2007. The officials of Amar Desh said they smell a rat behind the incident. “We want to state clearly that this was not a fire under normal circumstances, this is a mysterious fire,” said Syed Abdal Ahmed, executive editor of Amar Desh.He claimed that the fire began in a locked room of the warehouse where official files, out-of-date computers and other materials were stacked up.According to some officials of BSEC Bhaban, the building, where three people were killed and about 50 injured during a devastating fire in 2007, lacked adequate fire safety measures.After visiting his office, NTV Chairman Mosaddeque Ali Falu said that how could an institution progress if it is struck by fire incidents repeatedly. The government should investigate the incident properly, he said. The NTV and RTV authorities shut their transmission temporarily soon after the fire. The NTV is housed at the sixth floor of the building while RTV is on the fifth floor. The earth-stations of the two TV channels are placed on the building rooftop.Meanwhile, a five-member probe body, headed by Deputy Director of Fire Service Mizanur Rahman, was formed to find out the cause behind the fire incident. The committee was asked to submit the probe report within seven working days, said Major Md Mahbub, Director (Operation) of Fire Brigade and Civil Defence. Brig Gen Ali Ahmed Khan said that the cause of the fire will be determined after further investigation. Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, State Minister for Home Asaduzzamn Khan Kamal and BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited the spot. Amir Hossain Amu assured of a fair investigation into the incident. Mirza Fakhrul termed the incident as ‘mysterious’. He demanded a fair investigation into the incident. He also demanded exemplary punishment to those involved in the incident after identifying them. “It is a well-designed act of sabotage to demolish Amar Desh,” he said.Besides, BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan office alleged that the government agents carried out the fire incident in a cool brain.
