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Published : 26 Dec 2024, 08:12 PM
The family of Md Shoyanur Zaman Nayan, a firefighter killed while responding to a blaze at the Secretariat in Dhaka, have blamed the government’s negligence for his death.
They believe he would not have died when the truck hit him if the road in front of the Secretariat was closed.
On Thursday, Nayan’s cousin Rakibul Islam said: “When he was injured, the road was closed. If the road had been closed five minutes earlier, he wouldn't have died. This incident is completely the failure of the home affairs advisor."
On Wednesday night, a deadly fire ravaged through the Secretariat building.
Firefighter Nayan was crossing the road in an attempt to connect a water pipe when he was rammed by a truck and critically injured. The truck then rushed off.
He was later taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the doctor’s declared him dead.
Nayan's funeral was held at the Fire Service and Civil Defense headquarters in Bangabazar in the capital on Thursday afternoon.
After the funeral, Nayan's maternal uncle Rakib Masud and cousin Rakibul Islam spoke to journalists.
Rakibul said: “Nayan joined the Fire Service back in 2022. He was initially in Sylhet. Later he was transferred to Dhaka.”
Speaking to journalists after the funeral, Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said: “Allah has granted him the status of a martyr. He was a very good firefighter and was brought here to join a special team.”
The home advisor then prayed for Nayan and asked Allah to have mercy on him.
Traffic was halted on the road in front of the Secretariat when the fire started and police and army personnel were on alert.
Many have questioned how a truck could have sped through the area under the circumstances.
Jahangir said, “A truck passing through the area is our own negligence. A truck should not have gone through there. But we have caught the truck driver. We will, of course, bring him to justice.”
A reporter asked Jahangir whether the fire at the Secretariat was a ‘failure’ of the home ministry. He responded: “One of ours is dead. That is our failure. Many people will forget this, but his parents will not. We will make sure that we do what needs to be done in order to ensure that his parents are well.”
