Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed has constituted a nine-member taskforce to strengthen fire safety measures in the Supreme Court compound, including the International Crimes Tribunal, the Office of the Attorney General, the Supreme Court Bar Association building. The initiative comes in response to a devastating fire at the Secretariat on December 26, 2024.
In a notification issued on Thursday, Supreme Court registrar general Md Abdul Aziz Bhuiyan expressed grave concern over the secretariat fire that destroyed offices and documents of five ministries.
The notification emphasised the critical importance of safeguarding the records preserved at the Supreme Court archive and reference section that houses centuries-old deeds and documents of state significance. It also highlighted the irreplaceable value of civil and criminal case records vital to justice seekers.
The Supreme Court Fire Safety Taskforce has been tasked with enhancing fire prevention and response measures in compliance with the Chief Justice鈥檚 directive.
The taskforce, chaired by the High Court registrar, includes High Court Division deputy registrar, Public Works Department executive engineer, Supreme Court and Special Courts Security Division鈥檚 deputy commissioner of police, one representative each from Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence, the Special Branch, the Detective Branch and the Rapid Action Battalion, and High Court Division鈥檚 assistant registrar for courts keeping.
The taskforce will assess current fire safety arrangements on the Supreme Court premises, identify vulnerable areas and mitigate risks, establish firefighting systems and train staff and employees, among other tasks.