United News of Bangladesh

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.”    

A fire broke out at a residential colony in Kashimpur area of Gazipur on Friday morning, destroying at least 26 rooms. The incident occurred in a colony owned by a man named Biplob, located near GMS Garments factory in Sardaganj area of Kashimpur. On receiving information, a unit of DBL Fire Service rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after about half an hour of efforts. Jhut godown catches fire in Gazipur DBL Fire Service in-charge Atikul Islam said the fire originated from a room in the colony and quickly spread to adjacent rooms, leaving 26 rooms completely gutted. “The exact cause of the fire and the extent of losses will be determined after investigation,” he added. No casualties were reported in the incident.

The death toll from a fire that broke out at a residential building in the capital’s Uttara has risen to six, police said on Friday. Among the deceased, three were members of the same family, Sub-Inspector Nazmul Sakib of Uttara West Police Station told UNB. The victims have been identified as Rodela, 14, daughter of Shahidul of Ishwarganj, Mymensingh; Fazle Rabbi Rizvi, 38, son of Kazi Khushedul Alam of Cumilla Sadar, Md Rashed, Two-month-old, son of Fazle Rabbi Rizvi of Cumilla Sadar; Raha, 17, daughter of Hafiz Uddin of Ishwarganj, Mymensingh; Harez, 52, son of Hafiz Uddin of Ishwarganj; and Afsana. Mosque, police station set on fire as Iran protests turn deadly The fire broke out at around 7:50am on the second floor of a seven-storey building located on Road No. 18 in Sector 11 of Uttara. Two firefighting units rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control by 8:25am, said Talha Bin Zasim, station officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters’ media cell. Cumilla crash: Four killed as bus catches fire after three-vehicle collision At least ten people were injured and are currently receiving treatment at several hospitals in Uttara, including Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

A mosque and a police station were set on fire in Iran as nationwide protests over economic hardship turned increasingly violent, with state media reporting that more than 100 members of the police and security forces have been killed since the unrest began. Iran’s state television said on Sunday that 30 police and security personnel were killed in Isfahan province and six others in Kermanshah in the latest clashes. The semi official Tasnim news agency reported that a total of 109 security officers have died across the country during the protests. State media also said a mosque was set on fire in the northeastern city of Mashhad on Saturday night, while a police station was torched during clashes in Tehran, according to videos circulating on social media. Burning vehicles and debris were seen blocking roads in several cities as protesters confronted security forces. The Iranian Red Crescent Society said one of its staff members was killed during an attack on a relief building in Gorgan city in northern Iran. The protests, which began in late December after a sharp fall in the value of Iran’s currency, have spread to many cities as people took to the streets over rising prices, inflation and worsening living conditions under Western sanctions. What started as economic protests has increasingly taken on an antigovernment tone. Interior Ministry officials said the riots are now gradually subsiding, while the attorney general warned that those involved in violence could face severe punishment. Speaking in parliament on Sunday, Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned the United States against any military action after US President Donald Trump threatened strikes if Iranian authorities kill protesters. He said any attack on Iran would make Israel and all US bases and ships in the region legitimate targets. Trump said on Saturday that the United States is ready to help Iranian protesters and again warned of possible military action. President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a televised interview, pledged to overhaul Iran’s struggling economy and said his government is ready to listen to the people’s demands. At the same time, he accused the United States and Israel of trying to create chaos in Iran and called on citizens to stay away from violence. Human rights groups have urged restraint, saying dozens of protesters have been killed and many more arrested during the crackdown.   With inputs from agencies

A massive fire broke out at a jhut warehouse in Dewaliabari area of Konabari in Gazipur on Thursday afternoon (January 08, 2026). The fire originated around 4:15 pm, and six units of the Fire Service are working to bring the blaze under control, said Saiful Islam, warehouse inspector of Konabari Modern Fire Station. Read more: Lalbagh factory fire under control He said two more units were on their way to the spot to assist in firefighting efforts. There are several godowns in the area and the fire has spread to all of them, he added.

A man killed as a fire that broke out on a St Martin’s Island-bound cruise ship at BIWTA jetty in Cox’s Bazar town on Saturday morning. The deceased was identified as Nur Kamal, 25, a staff of the vessel. Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operator Owners' Association of Bangladesh (SCOAB), said the fire broke out at the anchored the vessel,  Atlantic Cruise, around 7 am at the BIWTA jetty in Nuniachhara of Cox’s Bazar district town. “Smoke was seen billowing from inside the vessel and, within a short span, flames became visible,” he said. The fire erupted before any passengers had boarded the vessel. Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Tanjila Sharmin said the fire incident occurred in the presence of the officials of the local administration who were stationed at the jetty area to monitor the boarding of tourists as per the government directives. Rooftop warehouse of shopping complex catches fire at Gulistan   On receiving information, three firefighting units rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze. The vessel was completely damaged by the fire. They also recovered the charred body of the  staff of the vessel from it, he said. Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Cox’s Bazar Md Shahidul Alam said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire. A probe body was formed to look into the fire, he said adding some 180 passengers were supposed to go to Saint Martin by the ship. Bus set on fire after pedestrian killed in Cumilla