Dhaka experienced two separate fire incidents on Thursday night, prompting fresh concerns regarding electrical safety and fire preparedness in both formal and informal settlements. The first blaze occurred in a multi-storey residential building in the Moghbazar area, while the second ignited in a cluster of tin-and-wood shanties beside the Tejgaon railway tracks. Fortunately, neither incident resulted in loss of life.
The fire in Moghbazar was reported shortly after 9:15 p.m., according to Rakibul Hasan, the on-duty official at the Fire Service control room. It began in a single room on the eighth floor of a building located on Dilu Road. Residents noticed smoke emerging from the flat and alerted emergency services. Two fire service units arrived swiftly and managed to extinguish the flames before they reached other floors. Preliminary findings suggest that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit—an issue that plagues many ageing buildings where faulty wiring, overused circuits and a lack of regular maintenance remain common problems.
Just half an hour earlier, around 8:45 p.m., panic spread through a densely populated shanty area in Tejgaon as flames erupted near the railway line. The area consists of makeshift dwellings constructed from highly flammable materials, making it particularly vulnerable to fire. Firefighters rushed to the scene, deploying two units to tackle the blaze. Several shanties were reduced to ashes, though all occupants managed to escape unharmed.
While the immediate threat has passed, the incidents underscore broader issues: unreliable electrical infrastructure, inadequate fire safety awareness, and the precarious living conditions in informal settlements. Experts stress that both urban residents and local authorities must strengthen preventive measures—ranging from regular electrical inspections to improved emergency access routes—to mitigate similar risks in the future.