United News of Bangladesh

At least 16 people sustained burn injuries in a fire following a blast at a LPG filling station in Kolatoli area of Cox's Bazar district town on Wednesday night. At least 10 houses near the filling station and 20 to 25 tourist jeeps were gutted in the fire. The explosion occurred around 10:20pm at the ‘N Alam’ LPG filling station  with a big bang, causing fire that spread to the nearby houses, said Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence Syed Muhammad Morshed. On information, local firefighting units rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire with the help of members of the army, air force, fire service and Red Crescent and local people around 3am on Thursday after nearly five hours. Among the injured seven were sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital while three others to Dhaka for better treatment. Sabuktageen Mahmud Sohel, resident medical officer of Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital said six people are undergoing treatment at the hospital while 10 others were sent to Dhaka. Witnesses and fire service sources said gas leakage from the LPG station spread a strong smell across the area for nearly three hours, causing panic among residents. The filling station had no valid approval and the massive explosion was triggered by a gas leak, said DAD Morshed. Touhidul Islam, a local resident, said the whole area was filled with suffocating gas fumes before the explosion and the fire rapidly spread to adjacent Adarsha Gram and Chandrima Housing areas. Local people blamed negligence on the part of the station owners. Officer-in-Charge of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station, Sami Uddin said the situation is now under control and law enforcement personnel were deployed at the scene. Fire service officials said legal action will be taken against the owners of the unauthorised filling station.

In just three days, a string of suspected gas leak fires across at least four districts, including Chattogram, has exposed the alarming vulnerability of urban households, leaving five members of a single family dead and 15 others injured. A gas line explosion ripped through a flat on the third floor of a six-storey building at Halishahar in Chattogram early Monday, leaving nine of a family injured. Five of them — Shawkat Hossain, 49; Ashura Akter Pakhi, 30; Nurjahan Akter; her son Shawon; and her brother-in-law Sumon   succumbed to their injuries till Wednesday afternoon. 4 of a family burned in Hazaribagh ‘gas leak’ fire The other injured victims are undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic surgery in Dhaka. On the same day, four members of a family including a woman and a child sustained burn injuries in a gas leak explosion at their rented house in the capital’s Hazaribagh area. The victims — Sheikh Roman, 35; his wife Pinky Akter, 32; their three-year-old son Mayan; and Roman’s brother-in-law Apu, 23 — were living on the ground floor of a building in East Rayer Bazar. They were rushed to the burn institute in the early hours. In Cumilla’s Daudkandi, another family of four — Monowara, 60, Zill Haque, 37, Umme Humaira, 30, and two-year-old Hurram — suffered burns in a fire triggered by a suspected gas leak on Tuesday. Three shops gutted in Kushtia fire Hospital sources said they were admitted to the emergency department of the burn institute. In Chandpur’s Kachua upazila, three members of a family — Khadiza, 30, Mahmudul, 35, and Sheuli Akter, 40 — were injured in an explosion reportedly caused by a leaking gas line at around 8:30am on Wednesday. They, too, were later taken to Dhaka for treatment. Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain and Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu visited the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute on Tuesday morning to see victims of Chattogram and Cumilla fire incidents. The Health Minister told reporters that the best possible treatment would be provided to all injured patients. Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu said Industries, Health, and Disaster Management ministries will work together to bring expired gas cylinders under proper regulation. The ministers will hold a joint meeting soon to decide on measures to reduce such accidents, he said. Two separate probe bodies have been formed over the blast incident at Halishahar in Chattogram city that left five people dead. Mohammad Jashim Uddin, deputy-director of Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defense, said a five-member committee has been formed to look into the explosion. The committee has been asked to submit its report within next week. Meanwhile, Kabir Uddin Ahmed, General Manager of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) formed a three-member committee to probe the blast. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three working days.

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.