About 53 betel leaf farms were completely destroyed by fire in Rajshahi’s Bagmara upazila on Friday.
There are no reports of any casualties from the incident, but approximately 80 betel leaf farmers have been left destitute. Nearly 100 bighas (around 33 acres) of their land under betel leaf cultivation were reduced to ashes.
The farmers suspect that the fire may have been caused by a cigarette.
On Friday, a sudden fire broke out in the betel leaf farms in Porakoya village, Ganipur union, Bagmara upazila. The fire quickly spread, affecting at least 100 bighas of betel leaf farms. Local authorities called the fire service, and four units managed to bring the fire under control.
Betel leaf farmer Asadul Islam said: “The fire initially started in Isahaq’s farm and then rapidly spread to other farms, affecting around 80 farmers and their 100 bighas of betel leaf farms. Many farmers saw their one-to-one-and-a-half bigha of betel leaf farms turn to ashes. He added that everyone is now destitute as the fire destroyed everything, and they will need to rebuild all the farms anew.”
“The peak season for betel leaf prices is now, with fresh betel leaves selling for Tk4,000 per powa (a local measure), and older leaves fetching between Tk5,000 and Tk5,500. The loss is akin to watching money burn right in front of our eyes. The villagers did their best to extinguish the fire, but by then, much was already lost.”
Farmer Rezaul Islam also said his farm over one bigha was completely destroyed, and he would need to rebuild his betel leaf farm, which can only start by the next winter season as it’s not the right time to plant new betel leaves now.
Moniruzzaman Ranju, the chairman of Ganipur union in Bagmara, said that the exact extent of damage might be more than 60 to 70 bighas. They have asked the farmers to compile a list, which will be submitted to the district administrator through the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) on Saturday. This might help the affected farmers receive some government assistance.
Mehedi Hasan Tuhin, the station officer of Bagmara Fire Service, did not respond to calls for comments.
However, Akhtar Hamid Khan, the deputy director of Rajshahi Fire Service, said that four units from Rajshahi, Bagmara, Mohanpur, and Atrai managed to control the fire after an hour of effort, impacting over a hundred farmers. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown.
Mahbubul Islam, the UNO of Bagmara, said that they have inspected the affected area with agriculture officers. Preliminary findings suggest the fire might have been caused by a cigarette, affecting an estimated 90 to 100 bighas of betel leaf farms.