A devastating fire erupted in Bangladesh’s Narayanganj city on Monday (January 1) night, the local media reports claimed. The accident took place at Ibrahim Composite Textile Mills Ltd. at around 8:20 pm, said Ataur Rahman, Officer at Fire Service and Civil Defence Central Control Room.
Witnesses said that the fire originated at a tin-shed house of the factory and immediately spread to the nearby three-storeyed cotton warehouse where a huge amount of cotton was stored. Six units of firefighters from Demra, Haziganj and Mondalpara rushed to the spot and doused the flames after two hours of arduous effort, mentioned Hafijur Rahman, Senior Station Officer of Hajiganj Fire Station.
The reason for the fire could not be known and there was no report of any casualty due to the mishap, Hafijur added.
However, the amount of losses sustained is yet to be figured out.
Factory safety is a big worry in Bangladesh, which hosts thousands of readymade garment and textile factories that supply goods to various international brands.
Bangladesh’s workplace safety came under scrutiny after the Rana Plaza collapse and Tazreen Fashions fire that jointly claimed lives of more than 1,250 workers. Both the tragedies triggered international condemnation that successfully prompted global brands and the United Nations to improve their safety standards at the factories that supply their products.
Despite tighter controls, dozens of workers still die in accidents every year.