At least five shops were damaged in a fire that broke out in the Chhoto Patharghata area of Patharghata municipality in Barguna early Wednesday.
The fire erupted near the Chhoto Patharghata bus stand at around 4am and quickly spread to adjacent wooden structures, local residents said.
Witnesses said the blaze originated in a tea stall owned by a trader named Hridoy before engulfing nearby shops within a short time.
Among the affected businesses, a tea stall and grocery shop owned by Md Kalam were completely destroyed. A shop and residence belonging to Md Monir, tea stalls owned by Md Nur Jamal and Md Naim, and several other business establishments were also damaged in the fire.
On receiving the information, a unit of Patharghata Fire Service rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control at around 5am after nearly an hour of efforts.
Patharghata Fire Service Station Leader Md Rafiqul Islam said firefighters faced difficulties due to the intensity of the blaze.
He said the fire was initially believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit.
The estimated loss from the incident could be around Tk15 lakh, he added.
No casualties were reported.
