Bailey Road blaze contained after an hour’s effort

The fire that broke out at a building named Capital Siraj Center on Dhaka’s Bailey Road has been brought under control after about an hour of firefighting.

Md Shahjahan, an official from the Fire Service’s central media cell, said the blaze was tamed at 7:47pm on Monday.

Earlier, at around 7:15pm, he said they had received the information about the fire around 6:45pm.

“Within minutes of receiving the alarm, nine firefighting units rushed to the spot.”

Many people shared live videos of the fire on Facebook, showing thick black smoke engulfing the area as crowds ran in panic.

Before the flames came under control, Fire Service Inspector (Media) Anwarul Islam said many people were trapped on the building’s rooftop. Efforts are underway to control the fire underneath.

"The situation is improving. I hope the damage will be less."

The 18-storey complex includes the Bailey Deli food court, restaurants, retail outlets, and residential flats, some of which are also used as offices.

A children’s play area called “Babuland” is located on the sixth floor.

Jihan Anik, a resident of the 12th floor, told bdnews24.com: “My mother, sister, and I, along with others unable to evacuate, have taken shelter on the rooftop. There was a lot of smoke earlier, but it has eased now.”

On Feb 29 last year, a fire at a building called Green Cozy Cottage on Bailey Road claimed 46 lives.

After the incident, allegations of negligence were raised against the design and security approval agencies of the building, including the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK).

The Fire Service and RAJUK formed separate committees to investigate the incident.