BTC forms team to probe Mary Anderson fire

Bangladesh Tourism Corporation (BTC) has formed a three-member team to probe the fire that gutted its floating restaurant, Mary Anderson.

BTC Chairman Aparup Chowdhury said this on Thursday while inspecting the charred remains of the luxury yacht-turned-restaurant and bar.

He said BTC Director (Commercial) Kaliranjan Barman had been the committee convenor, Managing Director (Works) Farid Ahmed member secretary, and Managing Director (Administration) Anwarul Haque Shikdar member.

The committee will assess the extent of the damage, find out whether restoration was possible, and determine the cause of the fire.

It will submit its report within seven days.

Meanwhile, two separate general diaries were lodged with the Fatulla Police Station over the incident, said OC Md Asaduzzaman.

One was filed by Md Salauddin, manager of Haque Traders, which ran the restaurant on lease, and the other by BTC unit manager Nazrul Islam.

A blaze, raging for two hours, completely destroyed Mary Anderson on Wednesday night.

It was anchored on the Buriganga River at Pagla in Narayanganj's Fatulla at the time it caught fire.

Fire-fighters suspect an electrical short-circuit may have triggered the blaze.