A massive fire broke out at a major building of the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka on Thursday, damaging official documents that prompted authorities to form a high-powered investigation committee amid suspicions that it could be an act of sabotage.
Amid this, a Pakistan-based account recently shared a viral claim on social media stating, “Bangladesh says India was behind the fire at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka today.”
Moreover, several users shared this video and made similar claims. The link can be seen here, here and here
Fact Check
During the investigation, DFRAC found the claim to be fake. We found multiple media reports regarding the fire at the Bangladesh Secretariat. According to an Indian Express report published on December 26, 2024, “A massive fire broke out at a major building of the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka on Thursday, damaging official documents. This prompted authorities to form a high-powered investigation committee amid suspicions that it could be an act of sabotage. The fire broke out in Building 7 of the Bangladesh Secretariat and was brought under control after nearly six hours of firefighting efforts.”
Furthermore, we found a report from the Dhaka Tribune, published on December 26, 2024, stating, “A fire broke out at the Secretariat in Segunbagicha area of Dhaka. The blaze reportedly started at 1:52 am on Thursday. Thirteen units of the Fire Service are working to bring the fire under control, Rafi Al Faruq, the duty officer at the Fire Service control room, said. He mentioned that the first report of the fire came at 1:52 am in Building 7 of the Secretariat.”
Conclusion
It is evident from DFRAC’s fact check that the fire at the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka was not caused by India. The investigation and media reports indicate that the fire broke out due to unspecified causes and is being investigated for possible sabotage. However, there is no credible evidence linking India to the incident. Therefore, the claim made by social media users is fake.
