20 shops burnt in Bagerhat fire

At least 20 shops were burnt in a devastating fire broke out in a market in Bagerhat's Sarankhola upazila on Thursday.

The affected shop owners claimed that valuables worth Tk two crore were damaged in the fire. The fire-hit shops included grocery, pharmacies, electronics and plastic goods.
Owners and Fire Services said the fire erupted in one the shops of Rayenda Panch Rasta Intersection in the upazila around 10:30 pm.

Rayenda Bazar Committee general secretary Moniruzzaman Babul blaming the fire service's negligence for failing to control the fire promptly claimed that the fire caused a loss of some Tk two crore

He urged the government to compensate the affected shopkeepers for survival.

Denying the allegation, Sarankhola Fire Service and Civil Defense’s Station Officer Md. Aftab E Alam said that the fire was intense and took an hour to bring under control.

He assured that there is no longer a risk of the fire spreading. However, he could not immediately provide the exact amount of the damage caused by the fire.

The blaze was brought under control by the efforts of the fire service and local residents, with the assistance of heavy rain that started around 11:30pm.

SR