At least 50 shops and houses were gutted in a devastating fire that broke out on Sunday at Baghmara Bazar in Jamchhari Union under Sadar Upazila of Bandarban.
According to the Fire Service and local residents, the fire started around 4:00 am. Locals first noticed flames rising from the market area and immediately alerted others through announcements made over the mosque’s loudspeaker.
Residents rushed to the scene and tried to contain the blaze, but the fire spread rapidly because many of the shops and houses contained highly flammable materials. Four units from the Bandarban Fire Service later arrived and managed to bring the fire under control after nearly three hours of effort.
Affected traders said all the goods in their shops were completely destroyed, causing heavy financial losses.
Jamchhari Union Parishad Chairman K Singh Shai Marma said the fire might have originated from an electrical short circuit. He added that around 50 shops and houses were burned down, though the total extent of the damage has yet to be determined.
Abdul Mannan Ansari, Assistant Director of the Bandarban Fire Service Station, said, “Our four units worked for about three hours to bring the fire under control. The exact cause of the fire and the total amount of damage will be confirmed after investigation.”
Notably, a major fire had also devastated Baghmara Bazar in February 2022, leaving many business owners financially ruined.
