Late-night blaze guts over 100 shops in Munshiganj market

A devastating blaze has destroyed over 100 shops in Munshiganj's Sreenagar Upazila.

The fire reportedly erupted at Sreenagar Bazar around 2am on Friday and was brought under control after a six-hour effort, according to Shafiqul Islam, deputy assistant director of Munshiganj Fire Service.

Around 8am, Sreenagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Mohin Uddin visited the scene and assured affected shopkeepers of government assistance.

“We stand beside those affected. We will do everything possible to support their rehabilitation,” he said.

According to locals, the fire originated from a yoghurt shop in the market, one of the largest in the district. Night guards unsuccessfully attempted to put out the flames before alerting the Fire Service. By then, the fire had already spread rapidly through the densely packed shops.

Five firefighting units were subsequently dispatched to contain the blaze. The fire ravaged key areas of the market, including Lungi Potti, Mithai Potti, Dudh Potti, Seka Ruti Potti, and Murgi Potti.

Leading the firefighting efforts, Shafiqul said: “We finally took full control of the fire at 8am, but by then more than 100 shops had been gutted.”

A visit to the market on Friday morning revealed that many small traders had lost everything. The once-bustling market now lies in ruins, with three major alleys completely devastated.

One of the affected shop owners -- Manjurul Islam, who owns Anowar Bastra Bitan in the Lungi Potti -- rushed to the market from his village in Sreenagar's Horpora, but could not save anything.

He said he lost lungis (traditional garments) worth at least Tk 6 million in the fire.