At least 10 shops have been gutted by a massive fire in Sayestaganj upazila of Habiganj.
Reportedly, the incident—that broke out on Sutang bazaar in Basirganj of the upazila around 1:13am on Saturday—caused Tk50 lakh's-worth of losses.
Three firefighting units of Habiganj and Sayestaganj brought the fire under control an hour after they reached the scene.
Sayestaganj fire station In-Charge Ariful Islam confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune, saying that the fire originated in Sohel Miah’s Workshop—due to an electrical short circuit—and the flames immediately spread to other stores.
He also said: “Although the amount of damage caused by the fire is initially estimated to be about Tk50 lakh, goods worth millions have been spared from being damaged as the fire has been brought under control.”
Among the ten shops that burnt to ashes were: a hardware store, a cotton shop, a confectionery store, and a shop selling motorcycle parts.
Sayestaganj police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Anisur Rahman said: “Police assisted the firefighting units in bringing the fire under control as soon as they reached the spot."
Several candidates of the upazila elections gave their condolences to the affected owners, he added.
