Death toll climbs to 4

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Rescuers recovered another body from the 11-storey BSEC Bhaban in Karwan Bazar yesterday, raising the death count to four while the investigators were yet to find out the cause of Monday’s devastating blaze.

Anwar Hossain, 25, a private security agency employee who was working for ntv, might have died from suffocation, failing to find an exit, some rescue workers told The Daily Star.

Security personnel sealed off the site to keep off the curious onlookers.

Meantime, Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence Rafiqul Islam yesterday confirmed that the fire had started on the first floor but failed to pinpoint the cause. He said his men were working on that.

Besides, the probe committee of the industry ministry in its preliminary report the same day confirmed that the fire originated on the first floor.

The offices in the building remained closed as the rescue workers sifted through the debris for more bodies till filing of this report at midnight.

A rescue worker requesting not to be named told The Daily Star yesterday noon that there is little hope for finding anyone alive from the office block that houses private television channels ntv, Rtv, and the daily Amar Desh.

At least 50 people were injured. Many suffered fracture during the frantic rescue efforts.

RESCUE
The firefighters found the body of Anwar in the security guards’ room on the 7th floor at around 9:00am.

The body bore blisters all over. It was taken to Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsy. “His skin shrunk due to extreme heat. It is quite clear that he had suffered from smoke inhalation,” said a morgue source.

Anwar’s uncle Monwar Hossain received the body after autopsy and took it to their home village at Hemayetpur in Pabna.

Meantime, five of the injured were recovering at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and are out of danger now.

Of the other, some are being treated at Samarita, Holy Family and the Combined Military Hospital.

INVESTIGATION
Fire Brigade DG Rafiqul, head of the probe team formed by the home ministry Monday night, visited the site yesterday morning.

“We’re convinced that the fire started on the first floor,” he told reporters.

Asked exactly at which office it beganJamuna Oil Company Ltd or Bengal Carpet, he said they were yet to be sure about that.

If it was an electric shot-circuit that led to the blaze, he said, “We’ve collected different kinds of evidence and are now working on those.”

When reporters asked how the fire got to the sixth floor without touching those [floors] in between, he replied, “I too am curious about that. We’re looking into if the fire had gone up till the eighth floor through the power cables, empty spaces or other inflammable objects.”

However, it is beyond doubt that there were many inflammable materials and may be fanned by those the fire raced through the building, he said adding, “We’re trying to find what caused the spark first.”

Meantime, Assistant General Manager of Jamuna Oil Habibur Rahman Sikder told The Daily Star, “The fire did not originate in our office, it rather started by a shot-circuit at the Bengal Carpet. I saw smoke coming out from that direction.”

The investigation committee is also certain about it, he claimed.

Assistant Superintendent of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Syeda Zannat Ara and experts visited the badly damaged office block and collected evidence yesterday. “We’ll be able to talk about the cause after completion of laboratory tests,” she said.

The industry ministry’s probe team headed by Joint Secretary Mushtaque Hasan Mohammad Iftekhar went to the site and spoke with a number of people who would work at the building.

“Although shot-circuit or inflammable objects are believed to be the cause of the fire, it could not be confirmed,” an industry ministry press release said yesterday.

Saying that the probe needs more time, the committee has asked for 48 hours more. Both the committees were given 48 hours to submit reports.

DAMAGE
A good number of officials and employees of different offices gathered in front of the BSEC Bhaban yesterday, but none could give complete picture of the damage to their workplaces.

“Ninety percent of our equipment has been damaged–some due to the flames while some for heat and water,” Sultana A Banu, an engineer of ntv, told reporters.

A Sattar, a top official of Dandy Dying and Islami Television, said the fire has gutted most of their equipment and documents.

Officials of different insurance companies having clients in the building also visited the area yesterday.

Habibur Rahman of Jamuna Oil said, “I couldn’t have a complete view of the interior as the security men did not allow me. But I think all my equipment and valuables were damaged.”

Officials of Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation yesterday said they have an insurance coverage of about 10 crore with Sadharan Bima Corporation.

The insurance company has appointed two surveyors to assess the damage.

VOW TO REBUILD
Staff of ntv, Rtv, Amar Desh and other organisations gathered in front of the BSEC Bhaban yesterday morning and tried to console each other.

Many of them failed to rein in emotions while some were hugging each other to share the grief.

“It’s our office but we can’t get in,” a female staff said, struggling in vain to hold back tears.

Enayetur Rahman, managing director of ntv, asked his colleagues not to lose heart. He assured them of resumption of operation in the shortest possible time.

“There is no reason to panic, no one should worry about losing jobs. I’ll run the organisation with money from my own purse if necessary for five months,” he added.

Enayet, however, said that they would need government assistance as well.

Meanwhile, Law and Information Adviser Mainul Hosein visited the site yesterday afternoon. He assured the ntv managing director, Amar Desh Editor Amanullah Kabir and Rtv Chief of Programme KM Harun of all possible support from the government

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