A devastating fire gutted atleast 17 business enterprises and 11 residential units at Bakerganj Bandar, about 22 kilometers from Barisal city, on early Saturday.
Md. Alauddin, station officer Barisal Fire Service and Civil Defense unit, said primarily it was assumed that the fire started from a electric short circuit at the first floor on the chamber of Dr. Kanai Lal after 12:10 AM Saturday.
Barisal fire service unit reached at the spot at about 12:35 AM and then fire service units from Nalcity, Jhalakathi and Patuakhali rushed to the spot and jointly controlled the flame after three-hour. Primarily Tk 5 million damages estimated by the fire service as accept gutting 28 establishments, more 8 also damaged partially during extinguishing the fire, he added.
Lokman Hossain Dakua, Bakerganj municipal chairman, said the flame spread speedily as the establishment in the Banadar area was densely populated with business and residential establishments. The municipal chairman assured to extend emergency relief and rehabilitation activities to the effected people and estimating damages could only be ascertained after clearing the debris.
Estimated damages would be more than Tk.10 million as number of fully and partly damaged establishments included, medicine, jewelry, grocery, confectionary, stationary, restaurant, electronics, cloths, claimed Barun Saha and Paresh Chandra, effected grocery shop and restaurant owners of the area.
No causality was reported, however 10/15 persons became sick by the heat and smoke of the flame and efforts during extinguishing fire and treated locally, said Nurul Islam, Bakerganj police station officer in charge.
1 killed in attack over loan money in Sylhet
Sylhet Correspondent
A man was killed and 25 others were injured in an attack over payment of loan money at Nandirgaon Paschimpara village in Goainghat upazila early Saturday.
The deceased was identified as Abdul Malik,25, son of Masaddar Ali of the village.
Quoting locals, police said Dulu Mia, son of Tabarak Ali of the village, had borrowed some money from a few people of Purnachhagram village in Companiganj upazila.
As they failed to recover the money from Dulu, they took away some cattle of Abdul Malik as return of the loan money.
