A series of fires and explosions have afflicted Bangladesh this year, causing extensive damage and raising concern about the adequacy of fire safety measures in the country.
They have resulted in significant property damage and loss of life, straining emergency services and prompting calls for improved safety precautions.
Here is a list of some of the most devastating blazes and blasts that have occurred so far in 2023.
Kamrangirchar shoe factory fire: Kamrangirchar shoe factory caught fire at 11:45am on January 19. Four firefighting units brought the blaze under control after around half an hour.
Gulshan apartment fire: Two people were killed in a fire at a multi-storey residential building in the capital's Gulshan on February 19 after four people jumped from the building.
Gopibagh rickshaw garage fire: A fire broke out at a rickshaw garage in Dhaka's Gopibagh area around 11pm on March 1. Six firefighting units rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after an hour of effort.
Sitakunda oxygen plant fire: At least five people were killed and over 30 were injured in a massive fire that broke out at the oxygen plant following an explosion there in the Kadam Rasul (Keshabpur) area of Chittagong's Sitakunda upazila on March 4.
Science Lab explosion: On March 5, an explosion occurred in a commercial building in the Science Lab area of Dhanmondi. Six people, including pedestrians, died as a result of the blast. The explosion left part of the three-storey building partially collapsed.
Siddikbazar fire: Twenty-four people were killed in an explosion at a seven-storey building in the Siddikbazar area of Gulistan in Dhaka on March 7.
Sitakunda cotton depot fire: Another fire broke out in Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong on March 11, days after the explosion at the oxygen plant. The fire was brought under control around 22 hours after the incident.
Tejkunipara slum fire: A massive fire broke out in Tejgaon's Tejkunipara area in the capital on March 13. Over 100 shanties were gutted in the fire.
Narayanganj explosion: At least one person was killed and nine others were injured in a fire that broke out following an explosion at a Narayanganj building on March 18.
Mohakhali slum fire: A fire broke out at a slum in Dhaka's Mohakhali area on March 27. The fire at Mohakhali's seven-storey slum was brought under control by nine firefighting units.
Bangabazar fire: A massive fire broke out at Bangabazar Shopping Complex in Dhaka on April 4. It took three whole days to douse the flame completely. Several thousand shops, mainly readymade garment and footwear stores, were burnt to ashes. The blaze made thousands of traders destitute ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Chawkbazar fire: A fire broke out in a ceramic warehouse on the fourth floor of a building next to Bismillah Tower in Chawkbazar in Dhaka on April 11. A total of six firefighting units managed to douse the fire after one hour.
Nawabpur fire: Just one day after the Chawkbazar fire, a blaze broke out at a warehouse in Dhaka's Nawabpur on Thursday. Fourteen firefighting units of the fire service responded to the blaze and extinguished it on Friday.
New Supermarket fire: A massive fire engulfed the three-storey New Supermarket in Dhaka on Saturday morning, damaging hundreds of clothing shops. The blaze had yet to be put out at the time of writing and thirty firefighting units were on the spot to put out the flames completely.
