A massive fire that broke out at a cigarette warehouse owned by British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) in the Nolam area of Ashulia in Savar, Dhaka, has been brought under control.
The blaze, which started at around 7:30am on Wednesday, was successfully extinguished by six units of the Fire Service at around 1pm.
No casualties have been reported from the incident.
A spokesperson for BAT Bangladesh said, “A fire broke out at our warehouse located in Nolam, Savar, this morning. The fire was brought under control due to the prompt actions of the Fire Service and relevant law enforcement agencies. We confirm that no casualties occurred in this incident. Our primary priority is to ensure the safety of our employees and to extend full cooperation with the relevant authorities.”
According to Fire Service sources, local residents first spotted smoke and flames billowing from the rear of the warehouse and initially attempted to douse the fire themselves. They subsequently alerted the Fire Service, prompting two units from the Jirabo Fire Station to rush to the spot and commence fire-fighting operations.
As the fire rapidly spread across the entire warehouse, two additional units from Jirabo were dispatched. Later, two more units from the DEPZ Fire Station joined the efforts to bring the situation under control.
Ahmedul Kabir, an official at the Jirabo Modern Fire Service Station, said “Fire service personnel faced significant challenges in bringing the blaze under control due to the presence of a large quantity of highly flammable materials stored inside the warehouse.”
Although the fire was completely contained by 1pm, the exact cause of the incident and the extent of the damage could not be immediately determined. The Fire Service confirmed that a thorough investigation would be launched to ascertain the actual cause of the fire.
DEPZ Fire Service Senior Station Officer Kanak Chowdhury remarked, “It is not possible to say at this moment how the fire originated or what the extent of the damage is. Detailed information will be provided following a complete investigation into the incident.”
To prevent any untoward incidents and maintain normal law and order, additional police forces have been deployed in the factory area, confirmed Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Tariqul Islam.
The stock market-listed BATB had relocated its factory and warehouse operations from Mohakhali in Dhaka to the new premises in Ashulia in July last year. The relocation involved an investment of Tk300 crore aimed at boosting its overall production capacity.
