Secretariat Fire: Preliminary investigation report to be submitted Tuesday

The deadline for submitting the preliminary investigation report on the fire at the Secretariat to the chief adviser has been extended by one day, confirmed Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Dr Nasimul Gani.

Originally scheduled for submission on Monday, the report will now be presented on Tuesday, the secretary told reporters at the Secretariat on Monday afternoon.

Dr Nasimul Gani said: "The preliminary report on the Secretariat fire was due on Monday. However, with permission from the Cabinet, the submission has been extended by one day. Some tests are ongoing tonight, and we will sit again on Tuesday. The report will be submitted by Tuesday afternoon."

He added: "A high-level committee has been formed, and multiple teams are working on the investigation. These include the Army, PWD, Buet experts, police, and ICT personnel. By analysing evidence collected by these five teams, we aim to finalize a conclusion."

The fire, which broke out at midnight on December 25 in Building 7 of the Secretariat, destroyed at least 200 rooms across five ministries.