Fire Service launches investigation into devastating Badda fire

The Fire Service and Civil Defence has constituted a three-strong committee to investigate the fire at Merul Badda which burnt a boarding house and over 100 shanties on a large pond on Monday.

Fire Service Director General Ali Ahmed Khan told bdnews24.com on Tuesday its Associate Director Rafiqul Islam would be leading the committee
 
The panel has been given 15 days to submit the finds.
 
The Dhaka district administration has prepared a list of 370 affected families and provided them with cash and rice.

The fire on Monday burned down a boarding house, several shops in a building, and more than 100 shanties on the land belonging to local Ward Councillor Osman Gani and his siblings.
 
The people who lost their belongings in the fire gathered at the site on Tuesday. 
 
A local businessman, Swapan Kumar Bhaskar, and some of his friends arranged food for the victims.
 
Dhaka district Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Anwarul Islam Khandker said they had prepared a list of 370 affected families.
 
The district administration was giving every family 15 kgs of rice and Tk 2,000 in cash.
 
Local MP AKM Rahmatullah had provided each family with Tk 1,000 in cash and a sari, he added.
 
Khandker said 264 families had received the aid until Tuesday noon.
 
He said the 106 families who did not get any help because they were in their country homes would be given assistance on return to Dhaka.
 
The affected people, however, said the assistance was ‘insufficient’.
 
Fuljan Begum, 55, who lost her belongings in the fire, wondered how many days they would survive on the aid.
 
Anwara Begum, 35, asked how would she cook the rice and wear the sari given in relief.
 
Relief Officer Khandker said letters had been sent to the relevant ministry and departments through the deputy commissioner stating that the affected needed rehabilitation.