Government officials and staff faced severe challenges in entering the Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday morning after a devastating fire engulfed Building 7, disrupting regular operations. The administrative hub, which typically operates with four entry gates, had only Gate 5 open for access, causing severe congestion. The fire broke out at 1:52 am on Wednesday night and engulfed the sixth to ninth floors of Building 7, housing offices of six ministries and multiple departments. It took 19 firefighting units over six and a half hours to bring the blaze under control. While the cause of the fire remains unknown, the extent of the damage is yet to be determined. Officials described the entry process as arduous, with long queues forming as identification cards were verified. Read: Firefighter dies after being hit by truck during Secretariat blaze Adding to the challenges, curious onlookers gathered outside the Secretariat, prompting heightened security measures. Police and military personnel have been deployed to ensure order and safety. The building 7 accommodates ministries like Youth and Sports; Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology; Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives; Labour and Employment; and the Ministry of Finance. Except for Building No. 4, the remaining nine buildings of the Secretariat experienced a power outage for 10 hours, disrupting official activities. By 1pm, when this report was filed, power had only been restored to Building 4, and most offices in the Secretariat remained closed. Many officials and staff were seen leaving after waiting for hours. Some officials stated that although they were allowed to enter the Secretariat, they were unable to access their offices as the doors were locked. Muhammad Jahed Kamal, Director General (DG) of the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD), explained that the power supply was cut off as a precautionary measure to prevent any further incidents. He also said that 211 firefighters from 20 units were deployed to extinguish the fire.

Voicing deep concern over the firing of mortar shells by the Myanmar Army inside Bangladesh, BNP on Saturday urged the UN and the international community to take steps to stop such insolent activities and violation of international law. “We would like to draw the attention of the United Nations and the international community to take necessary measures to prevent such audacity of Myanmar," said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Speaking at an emergency meeting at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he also called upon the Awami League government to take appropriate measures boldly to protect the territorial integrity of independent and sovereign Bangladesh." The BNP leader said an alarming situation has been prevailing along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border areas due to repeated incidents of firing mortar shells into Bangladesh territory by the Myanmar Armed Forces. Read: Govt has divided the state system through politicization: Fakhrul He said the military aggression of the Myanmar Armed Forces, which started on August 28, has been increasing due to the weak and subservient diplomacy of the current ‘illegitimate’ government of Bangladesh. “In the latest incident, a Rohingya teenager who was hit by a mortar shell fired by the Myanmar forces died yesterday (Friday) on the zero-line opposite to the Ghumdhum border in Naikhongchhari Upazila of Bandarban. Five more kids were injured in the incident,” Fakhrul said. A week after firing mortar shells along the Bangladesh border, he said the Myanmar forces repeatedly violated the airspace and fired mortar shells from warplanes and helicopters. Read: BNP's movement cannot be suppressed by attacks, arrests: Fakhrul “The mortar shells exploded within 120 meters of Bangladesh territory near the zero-line of Naikhongchhari border in Bandarban, which is a direct violation of international law. The Myanmar forces are often firing toward Bangladesh violating the airspace. BNP strongly condemns and protests the killing of people by firing mortar shells by the Myanmar Army along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border and the violation of international law,” the BNP leader said. He also said Myanmar is showing such audacity by firing mortar shells inside Bangladesh only because of the government’s knee-jerk foreign policy.