Photo : BSS

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 17, 2025 (BSS) – The fire that broke out yesterday afternoon in a seven-storey factory building in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) was finally brought under control this morning after 17 hours.
The Fire Service and CEPZ authorities have formed two separate investigation committees to determine the cause of the blaze.

Fire Service and Civil Defense Director (Operations) Md. Tazul Islam Chowdhury said they managed to bring the fire under control by 7:30 am, although it has not been completely extinguished yet.

“The building has been deemed highly risky. I appreciate the quick evacuation efforts by the Fire Service and CEPZ authorities. This is a significant achievement, as there were no casualties,” Tazul Islam said.

“Due to the presence of flammable materials, it took some time to bring the fire under control,” he added.

The fire originated on the seventh floor of a seven-storey building that housed the warehouses of Adam Caps & Textiles, a towel manufacturer, and Jeihong Medical Products BD Co. Ltd., a medical products company around 2pm on Thursday. Due to the efforts of firefighters and the coordinated teamwork of everyone involved, the fire did not spread to adjacent buildings.

Sources said the building was not up to code, making it difficult for firefighters to access the blaze. Despite this, firefighters along with other agencies managed to contain it, limiting the damage to about a quarter of the building, the sources added.
 
Tajul Islam announced the formation of a five-member investigation committee. He mentioned that the committee will submit a report within 15 working days to determine the cause of the fire and assess the building's structural integrity.

Tajul Islam said a total of 25 firefighting units, including two from Kumira in Sitakunda upazila, are working to bring the situation under control.

Abdus Sobhan, Executive Director of CEPZ, expressed gratitude to the Fire Service, Army, Navy, Air Force, and law enforcement agencies for their swift response in ensuring the safety of workers during the fire incident.

He emphasized the importance of obtaining a fire compliance certificate before commencing production.

Anwar Hossain, Assistant Director of Fire Service, told BSS that the Fire Service, Navy, and Air Force jointly are working to control the blaze, using robotic equipment provided by the Fire Service.

Jasim Uddin, Deputy Director of Chattogram Fire Service and Civil Defense, told BSS, “The fire spread rapidly due to the highly flammable materials stored inside. Firefighters had to struggle to bring the blaze under control.”

Rifat Hasan, Financial Manager of Adam Caps & Textiles, said all workers were safely evacuated after the fire broke out in the storage area where raw materials and fabrics were kept.

Borhan Uddin, a senior executive at Jeihong Medical, stated that most of their raw materials and export-ready products stored on the sixth and seventh floors were completely destroyed by the blaze.

Yasin, a worker at Jeihong, said a female co-worker noticed a burning smell on the third floor after lunch. Upon investigation, they found thick black smoke and flames on the seventh floor. They quickly alerted others and evacuated the building.