United News of Bangladesh

Four members of a family, including a woman, sustained burn injuries after a fire broke out from an electric spark at a tin-shed house in sadar upazila of Manikganj district on Wednesday. The injured were identified as Shamsul Biswas, 65, his wife Mafiyara Begum, 55 and their two sons — Masum Biswas, 35 and Jony Biswas, 25. Witnesses said the incident occurred around 1 pm when a spark from an electric wire reportedly ignited a curtain inside the house, causing fire. Fire breaks out at Karwan Bazar, 10 units battling blaze Masum Biswas said his mother and younger brother were inside the house during the fire. “My father rushed in from outside to douse the flames and he was also burnt. I sustained minor injuries while trying to rescue them,” he said. The injured were first taken to Manikganj Sadar Hospital and later shifted to the emergency department of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery around 6:30 pm for better treatment. Resident surgeon, Dr Md Harunur Rashid, confirmed that four burn victims from Manikganj were brought to the hospital in the evening. Gazipur jhut godown fire under control “They are currently undergoing treatment. The extent of their burn injuries cannot be confirmed at this moment,” he added.

Leaders and activists of the Awami League entered the party’s district and metropolitan office in Khulna on Sunday afternoon, placed wreaths on portraits of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina, hoisted the national flag and chanted slogans. The office, located in the Shankha Market area of the city, was visited around 4 pm. A video of the visit later circulated on social media. Later that night, the office was set on fire following protests against the Awami League leaders’ activities. Former leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement led the protest. Wooden doors and documents were set ablaze, though the fire eventually extinguished. Members of the Fire Service arrived at the spot afterwards. Several Awami League activists, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the visit was not organised under any formal party directive. They said the office had been locked, which they broke open before hoisting the national flag and placing garlands on the portraits. ICT issues arrest warrants against Hasina, 5 others Eyewitnesses and local residents said 10-15 activists entered the office  by a procession in the afternoon, briefly paid tribute to the portraits and quickly left.   In protest, several students later entered the office and set fire to the portraits. Khulna Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Kabir Hossain said a group of people had opened the Khulna district and metropolitan Awami League office in the afternoon. “After informing about it, we started collecting and reviewing CCTV footage from surrounding establishments to identify those involved,” he said. He added that later in the evening, some agitated students came and set fire to the office, damaging the two displayed portraits.

A fire that broke out at a jhut godown in the Ambagh area under Konabari area of Gazipur on Friday night was brought under control about one and a half hours later. Md. Mamun, assistant director of Gazipur Fire Service, said the blaze started around 7:30pm. Five firefighting units were deployed to the scene to control the fire and was brought under control about one and a half hours later. 18 injured in gas balloon blast during electioneering in Gazipur The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Authorities are set to assess the full extent of the damage  

Four polling centres were set on fire in Sadar and Purbadhala upazilas of Netrakona district early Tuesday. Mamun Sarkar, Officer-in-Charge of Sadar Police Station, said miscreants set fire to three polling centres (government primary schools) in sadar upazila at night around 3:30 am. The schools include--Parla Government Primary School, Bamonmoha Government Primary School and Sridharpur Government Primary School. Being informed by local people, police rushed to the spots and brought the fire under control. In another incident, miscreants also set fire to Hironpur Government Primary School in Purbadhala upazila in the dead of night, said Officer-in-Charge of Purbadhala Police Station Didarul Islam. Police are investigating the incidents, he said.

A fire broke out at a kitchen market in Uttara Sector-11 of the capital on Wednesday. The fire broke out at the kitchen market around 5:38 pm and engulfed it, said Rakibul Hasan, duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters control room. On information, five firefighting units rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze around 6:08 pm. However, the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage could not be known immediately. No casualties were reported.  

Medical equipment were gutted in a fire that broke out at the storeroom of Galachipa Upazila Health Complex in Patuakhali early Thursday. The fire broke out at a storeroom on the second floor of the health complex around 5 am and engulfed it. On information, two firefighting units rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze after two hours of frantic efforts. All patients were safely evacuated and no casualties were reported. The fire gutted valuables including medicines, documents, surgical equipment, computer and other essential equipment, said Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Md Mezbah Uddin. However, the cause of the fire will be determined after an investigation, he added. The extent of losses from the fire could not be ascertained yet.  

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said it continues to work closely with sector partners to scale up assistance and address urgent and evolving needs, stressing that fire risks remain high in the Rohingya camps. While immediate assistance continues, the latest incident underscores the persistent fire risks facing refugee communities in Cox’s Bazar, which hosts more than one million Rohingya refugees, it said. The fire risks remain high, particularly during the dry season, due to the dense layout of the camps and the use of highly flammable materials in temporary shelters, IOM said. It launched an emergency response following a large fire in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar early Tuesday morning. Read more: Canada reaffirms commitment to dignity and justice for Rohingya Relief efforts are being carried out in close coordination with the Government of Bangladesh and humanitarian partners to ensure timely and appropriate assistance to affected families. “When fires strike in overcrowded camp settings, the impact extends far beyond damaged infrastructure,” said Lance Bonneau, IOM Chief of Mission in Bangladesh. “Families lose shelter, essential belongings, and access to basic services, increasing immediate protection risks. Our response is guided by a clear responsibility to protect lives, uphold dignity and ensure that those affected receive assistance quickly and safely, so families can begin to regain a sense of normalcy.” The fire affected more than 2,000 refugees, causing extensive damage to shelters and camp-based facilities. No fatalities or major injuries have been reported.  More than 400 shelters were damaged and camp infrastructure was severely impacted, including over 160 water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities such as water points and latrines, as well as 11 learning centres and two mosques. Beyond the destruction of shelters, the fire also destabilized the hillside terrain on which much of the camp is constructed, damaging drainage networks and public infrastructure, and increasing risks related to access and erosion. After the fire was contained, IOM deployed health teams and ambulances to support those with minor injuries and worked with partners to rapidly assess damage and immediate needs. Building on these assessments, IOM and its partners rapidly deployed specialized teams in shelter, WASH, and protection to support affected families. Within 24 hours of the incident, IOM’s camp management team, together with refugee volunteers, cleared debris from the fire-affected areas to restore safe access for emergency assistance and essential services. Over 49.5 lakh Bangladeshis internally displaced by natural disasters: IOM In coordination with the World Food Programme (WFP), emergency food assistance was provided, while affected households received emergency shelter assistance, blankets, floor mats, mosquito nets, and portable solar lights. Following previous devastating fires, including the March 2021 incident that displaced 45,000 people, IOM and humanitarian partners have continued to strengthen refugee-led emergency preparedness and response mechanisms to enable faster, safer, and more effective action when hazards occur.

A devastating fire destroyed several hundred shelters, several educational and religious institutions at Rohingya Camp-16 in Ukhiya upazila early Tuesday. Fire service source said blaze might have originated from a gas stove left unattended while heating water late around 4 am at Block D-4 of Camp-16 in Shafullah Kata area of Palongkhali Union. Fire Service and Civil Defence units from Ukhiya rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control after nearly one and a half hours with the help of Rohingya volunteers. The fire was finally doused around 5:30 am. Head Majhi of Block D at Camp-16 Mohammad Riaz at least 448 shelters were completely gutted in the fire. Two mosques, 10 schools and one madrasa were also destroyed, leaving several thousand Rohingya refugees homeless, he said. No casualties were reported in the incident. Ukhiya Fire Service Station Officer Dollar Tripura said the prompt response prevented the fire from spreading to nearby blocks. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rifat Asma said preparations are underway to compile a list of affected families and assess the extent of damage. Fire breaks out in moving ambulance on Mawa Expressway Emergency humanitarian assistance is also being arranged for the victims, he said. On December 26, a hospital at Camp-4 was damaged in a fire, while several shelters were also gutted at Kutupalong camp on December 25.

Six people including three members of a family who died in a devastating fire at a multi-storey building in Dhaka’s Uttara area, were laid to eternal rest on Saturday and Friday night in Cumilla and Mymensingh districts. In Cumilla, the bodies of Fazle Rabbi, 37, his wife Afroza Begum Suborna, 30 and their child Kazi Fayaz, 3 were brought to Cumilla city where a namaz-e-janaza was held on Daroga Bari Mazar premises on Friday night. Read more: Sylhet’s Gowainghat house fire caused by short circuit, police confirm no communal link They were buried at their ancestral graveyard on Saturday morning following another namaz-e-janaza at Chiora village. A pall of gloom descended in the area over their tragic deaths. UNB Mymensingh Correspondent reports: three members of another family who died in the same fire incident in Uttara were laid to eternal rest in Ishwarganj of Mymensingh district on Friday night. They are Hares Uddin, 47, his son Rahab Chowdhury, 17 and Rodela Akter, 15, daughter of Rahab. They were buried around 10 pm following a namaz-e-janaza. Read More: House of ex-Dhaka-18 MP Habib Hasan’s brother set ablaze in Uttara

A fire that broke out at the home of late schoolteacher Birendra Deb in Sylhet’s Gowainghat was caused by an electrical short circuit, police said, rejecting claims of any communal link. In a statement issued on Friday night, Assistant Superintendent of Police Md Samrat Talukder said the fire started from a short circuit at the house of Birendra Deb. The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon at the house in Bahar village, East Para, under Nandirgaon Union of the upazila. The affected family claimed that goods worth Tk 60 to 70 lakh were destroyed. Meanwhile, from Thursday evening, photos and videos of the fire began circulating online. Some social media users claimed the house of Birendra Deb was set on fire for political reasons, while others spread rumors that it was due to his religious identity. In a statement issued Friday night, Sylhet District Police said a recent fire at a family home in Gowainghat was caused by an electrical short circuit. While the incident was purely accidental, the police noted that it was being circulated on social media as a communal attack. The statement added that the fire actually started on Thursday afternoon in the house due to an electrical short circuit. The fire service team later brought the blaze under control. Police have contacted the victim’s family and inspected the site, confirming that the fire was caused by a short circuit. No complaints were received from the family, and the police urged the public not to be misled. The police also urged the public not to be confused about the incident. The house belongs to the family of the late teacher Birendra Dev, and his four sons live there. His eldest son, Bikash Chandra Deb, who is also a local school teacher, said the fire started in the straw storage shed, which was attached to the main house. He added that a short circuit could have caused the fire, which quickly spread to the house. Drug-addicted grandson held for grandmother’s murder in Sylhet He further said that around noon, his wife saw the fire burning in the straw shed and the house while fetching water from the tube well. The flames spread quickly. Bikash Deb added that his family has no enemies and he has no complaints against anyone. “It was an accident and, with the help of local people, he is managing to survive despite losing everything,” he added. Nobo Kumar Singh, Station Manager of Companyganj Fire Service Station, said, “The fire likely started in the straw shed due to an electrical short circuit.”