Chawkbazar fire still smouldering after 30 hours

The fire at Mansur Khan Plaza on Chak Mogoltuli Road in Old Dhaka’s Chawkbazar had not been fully extinguished even 30 hours after it broke out, with smoke still coming out of the building on Tuesday night.

Fire Service personnel continued spraying water on the affected areas, while all nearby markets remained closed for safety reasons.

Shop owners were removing goods that had survived the flames. However, many items had turned black from smoke, leaving some of them unfit for sale.

During a visit to the scene on Tuesday night, fire service vehicles were seen stationed beneath the building, while security barriers restricted movement along both sides of Chak Mogoltuli Road. Business owners and employees gathered near the building to retrieve their belongings.

Ashraful, a businessman who owns a bag shop on the sixth floor, told Bangla Tribune that although his goods had not been burnt, smoke had blackened them, leaving around half of the stock unsuitable for sale. He had brought the goods downstairs.

The Fire Service received information about the fire at Mansur Khan Plaza at 5:04pm on Monday. Six units from Lalbagh, the headquarters at Siddikbazar and Palashi initially responded, with four more units joining the operation later.

After nearly 12 hours of efforts, the Fire Service declared the fire under control at around 5:20am on Tuesday. However, complete extinguishment remained pending.

Fire Service media cell official Anwarul Islam said at around 9:30pm on Tuesday that firefighters were still at the scene, spraying water on the affected areas of the building.

He added that an investigation committee would be formed to determine the cause of the fire.