Night Fire Guts Nine Warehouses at Faridpur's Falia Bazar: Jute, Onion and Rice Losses Put at Nearly Tk 3 Crore

Nine warehouses of jute, onion, garlic and rice were completely burned to ashes in a devastating fire at the traditional Falia Bazar in Faridpur's Alfadanga upazila. Goods worth nearly Tk 3 crore were destroyed in the fire that broke out on Saturday night (24 October), the affected traders said. Several traders of the market were left destitute by a single night's blaze.

Local sources said smoke and flames suddenly appeared at around 7:30 pm on Saturday from the warehouse of jute and onion trader Masud Mondal. Within moments, the fire spread to neighbouring warehouses and shops. The flames were so intense that local people could not even approach at the initial stage.

The owners of the damaged warehouses include Habib ur Rahman Habi Mondal, Firoz Member, Masud Mondal, Milton Molla, Jewel Member, Imrul Molla and Kalam Molla, among several other traders. Each warehouse reportedly held jute, onion, garlic and rice worth about Tk 40 to 50 lakh — which is how the total loss has been estimated at nearly Tk 3 crore.

Eyewitness and local trader Md Kislu Khalasi described the scene. Hearing people running and shouting in the market, he came out of his house to see Masud Mondal's warehouse burning fiercely. As the fire spread in the blink of an eye, all the goods in eight to nine shops were burned to nothing, he said.

On receiving the news, a total of four units from the Alfadanga and Boalmari fire stations rushed to the spot. Drawing water through pipes from the Barashia river flowing beside the market, firefighters, assisted by local people, began battling the blaze. After nearly two and a half hours of effort, the fire was brought fully under control. By then, however, almost all the agricultural produce in the warehouses had been reduced to ashes.

Affected trader Firoz Member broke down in tears as he said he had closed his warehouse after the day's business and gone home. When he returned after hearing the news, he found everything finished. He had bought jute with borrowed money to sell — he does not know how he will repay the loan or run his family now. If the government or the authorities concerned do not stand beside them, they will have no option but to end up on the street, he said.

Another affected trader, Masud Mondal, said he had bought jute, onion and garlic by selling land and taking loans at high interest, and stored them in his warehouse. Goods worth about Tk 50 lakh belonging to him alone were burned to ashes. He is at a loss over how to recover from such a huge setback.

On the cause of the fire, district Fire Service Deputy Director Sohel Rana said that immediately after receiving the news, four units from Boalmari and Alfadanga went to the spot and started dousing the flames. About nine shops caught fire and goods including jute, onion and rice were destroyed. It is initially suspected that the fire started from an electrical short circuit. The exact amount of damage and the cause will be known in detail after the investigation, he said.

Falia Bazar is a well-known centre of agriculture-based trade in the area. The livelihoods of many local families are built around the jute, onion, garlic and rice warehouses there. With a season's stocked produce burned in one night, the blow is not limited to nine traders alone — it will also affect local supply and the market.

The traders left destitute by the sudden fire have demanded a quick official assessment of the damage along with financial assistance and rehabilitation. Without prompt government incentives and support, they say, the agriculture-based trade and traders of this region will never be able to stand up again.

All eyes are now on the Fire Service investigation report. Only after the cause is officially confirmed and the damage list finalised will it be clear whether any support arrangement is made for those affected.