In 2025, fire returned again and again. Sometimes it struck without warning; at other times, it followed risks that had long been ignored. From the airport to densely packed neighbourhoods, from industrial warehouses to newsroom buildings, each incident exposed familiar gaps in safety, accountability and preparedness.
This Wide Angle roundup brings together visual stories from some of the year’s most devastating fires and accidents. Seen together, these moments of destruction form a larger picture, one that goes beyond loss to ask what failed, what endured and what must change to prevent the next disaster.
Milestone Plane Crash
A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed near Milestone School and College in Uttara on 21 July 2025, sparking rescue operations and emergency response at the scene of the accident.
Mirpur Chemical Warehouse
A deadly fire broke out at a chemical warehouse and adjacent garment factory in Mirpur on 14 October 2025, killing at least 16 people and sending toxic fumes across the neighbourhood
Airport
A massive blaze erupted at the cargo complex of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 18 October 2025, destroying imported goods, disrupting flights, and threatening significant losses for garment exporters.
Korail
A massive fire ripped through Dhaka’s Korail slum on November 25, 2025, destroying over a hundred homes and leaving thousands of residents displaced. The densely packed lanes and closely built structures made containment difficult.
The Daily Star
Protesters targeted The Daily Star office near Farmgate on December 19, 2025, setting parts of the building on fire and forcing staff to take refuge on the rooftop as emergency crews worked to douse the flames.
Prothom Alo
The Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar was vandalised and set ablaze around 19 December 2025, with fire service personnel bringing the blaze under control amid wider unrest in the city.
