Five business establishments, including a large medicine warehouse, were completely destroyed in a major fire at Dharamghar Bazar in Manikchhari upazila of Khagrachhari on Friday morning. The affected traders have estimated their preliminary losses at around Tk 70 lakh.
The fire broke out at approximately 4am on 11 September in the Mayurkhil area of the upazila. As the incident occurred in the early hours, the market was largely closed and most people were unaware of the danger when the flames first appeared.
Local residents noticed the fire and rushed towards the market. They attempted to put out the flames using available means and tried to prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby establishments. Their efforts, however, could not contain the fire as it spread rapidly across the adjoining shops.
The intensity of the blaze made the situation particularly difficult. By the time efforts were under way to control it, several businesses had already caught fire. The establishments destroyed included a medicine warehouse, a fertiliser and pesticide shop, a grocery shop, a tea shop and a furniture store.
After receiving information from local residents, a team from the Lakshmichhari Fire Service Station travelled to the scene. Firefighters arrived at around 6.30am and began working to bring the blaze under control. After prolonged efforts, they succeeded in extinguishing the fire completely.
By then, however, the flames had caused extensive damage. The businesses were carrying different types of stock, much of which could not be removed in time. The affected traders therefore suffered losses not only to their shops and warehouses but also to the goods stored inside them.
Medicine trader Atuse Marma said there had been no opportunity to move the stock from his warehouse after the fire broke out suddenly in the early morning. He said medicines worth approximately Tk 30 lakh were stored there, including life-saving medicines and other pharmaceutical products. The entire stock was destroyed in the fire.
The other affected businesses also lost their stored goods and property. Fertilisers and pesticides, grocery items, tea-shop supplies and furniture were among the materials destroyed. Based on the traders’ initial assessments, the combined financial loss is estimated at about Tk 70 lakh. The figure may become clearer once the affected businesses complete a detailed assessment of their damaged property and stock.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been established. Preliminary observations by the fire service suggest that an electrical short circuit may have triggered the blaze. Authorities are continuing to examine the circumstances to determine the precise cause.
The incident has left the affected traders facing serious financial difficulties. For those whose entire stock was destroyed, restarting their businesses will require substantial resources. The loss is particularly significant for the medicine warehouse, where a large quantity of pharmaceutical products was reportedly stored.
The fire was eventually brought under control through the efforts of the fire service, but only after five businesses had suffered major damage. Authorities are continuing their assessment of the incident, including its cause and the full extent of the losses.
