A fire that broke out in the Shahid Mosque slum near the European University in Gabtali, Dhaka, was brought under control early on Thursday.
Two buses belonging to Rozina Paribahan, which were parked at the site, were destroyed in the fire. Local residents claimed that around 150 to 200 shanties in the slum were gutted in the blaze. However, the Fire Service stated that an investigation would be conducted after the fire was extinguished to determine the exact number of affected shanties.
These details were shared by Md Saleh Uddin, Deputy Director of the Dhaka Division Fire Service, at the scene early in the morning.
He stated that the fire service responded immediately after receiving reports of the blaze, with personnel from the Kalyanpur Fire Station being the first to arrive and control the situation. Later, fire units from Mirpur, Tejgaon, and Mohammadpur joined the efforts, and by 4:36 am, the fire was fully under control.
In response to local complaints about the delayed arrival of fire services, Saleh Uddin denied any delay, stating there was no reason for concern and that the Kalyanpur Fire Station team began working to control the fire as soon as they arrived.
When asked whether the slum was at risk, he said, "We categorise all slums as being at fire risk. This one was also risky."