The Secretariat building is not at risk of fire from electrical short circuit, but is not secured from earthquake hazards, says Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam.
“There are circuit breakers everywhere. There’s almost no chance of fire breaking out from a short circuit,” he told the media on Monday (Apr 8) after the weekly cabinet meeting.
However, the Public Works Division is inspecting all the fire extinguishers and replacing the expired ones
Alam’s remarks came in purview of a countrywide alert on fire safety at workplace following the blaze at a Banani high-rise building killing 26 people.
He, however, said the Secretariat building was not secured from earthquake hazards.
“It is a 60 to 70 years old building. The base of this building is weak. We have a standing alert on earthquake,” the cabinet secretary said.
He said that the prime minister’s office at the Secretariat and the room for the Cabinet meeting have been relocated from Building-1 to Building-6 due earthquake factors.
“If the plates at Dawki, near Sylhet, moves, it will come here after two minutes. We have the mechanism of an alert. If we are alerted on time, we can evacuate,” he said.