Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen on Saturday urged the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) to be more vigilant in preventing fire incidents like the New Bailey Road one.

“So many lives were lost due to a small mistake and nothing could be more tragic than that. I think drives should continue [against this] and will continue,” he told reporters at a programme in Dhaka.

On Thursday night, a deadly fire that ripped through a seven-storey building, housing a number of restaurants, on New Bailey Road, claimed 46 lives and injured many others.

Alongside, the minister said, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) will continue drives to stop irregularities in hospitals.

“I am not in favour of closing all hospitals in Bangladesh. There will be hospitals – government and private ones. But those hospitals must comply with the criteria required by the rules,” he added.