The High Court has formed a high-level committee to assess the fire safety of residential and commercial buildings in Dhaka, and check if the safety systems are in compliance with the law.

The bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque issued the order on Monday after hearing two separate writ petitions.

The High Court ordered the home secretary of security services to head the committee, which includes police, RAJUK, Fire Service and Civil Defence, BUET experts, and representatives of the Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations.

The committee will have to submit a report with recommendations after investigating fire incidents, including last week’s deadly blaze on Bailey Road.

The court also ordered the authorities to put up notices marking buildings identified as vulnerable to fire incidents by the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

In addition, the court issued a rule asking why the inaction of the authorities to take proper measures for the prevention of fire incidents following the Fire Prevention and Extinguishing Act of 2003 should not be declared ultra vires.

The cabinet secretary, the housing and public works secretary, the home secretary, the chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, the inspector general of police and the mayors of two Dhaka city corporations have been ordered to respond to the rule

Lawyers Md Yunus Ali Akhand and Israt Jahan Shantona filed the petitions in the public interest.

As many as 46 people were killed when a devastating fire ripped through Green Cozy Cottage on Thursday. The injured are undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

Israt filed a petition seeking a judicial probe of the fire incident and directives to identify the real offenders. The petition also requested the government probe committee to submit its report to the court.

Advocate Yunus filed his petition to the High Court seeking a ban on housing restaurants in residential buildings on Bailey Road and other parts of Dhaka. The petition also sought directives leading to the arrest of the real offenders in the Bailey Road fire and compensation for the dead and injured in the incident.

The housing and public works secretary, cabinet secretary, home secretary, inspector general of police, RAJUK chairman, and Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporation's mayors were named as defendants in the petitions.