A major fire erupted at Adams Cap, a towel manufacturing unit inside the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), around 2:00 pm on Thursday, prompting a large-scale emergency response involving 16 fire-fighting units and five Bangladesh Navy teams.
According to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Navy deployed five specialised units to assist civilian firefighters in containing the blaze.
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) also dispatched two platoons to support rescue and security operations at the site.
Md Anwar Hossain, Assistant Director of the Agrabad Fire Service, confirmed the incident, stating that the first alert was received at 2:10 pm. Fire units from CEPZ, Agrabad, and Bayezid were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Social media footage showed thick flames and smoke billowing from the top floor of the multi-storey factory, with fire crews working tirelessly to bring the situation under control.
As of Thursday evening, the number of workers present in the factory and whether anyone was trapped remained unclear.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the fire or the extent of damage.
The coordinated response – spanning fire services, naval personnel, and border security – underscores the severity of the incident in one of Bangladesh’s key export hubs.