A fire broke out at a cigarette warehouse of British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) in Nalam area of Ashulia, Dhaka.
The blaze started around 7:30am on Wednesday. By 1pm, six units of the Fire Service brought the flames under control.
So far, no casualties have been reported in connection with the incident.
According to Fire Service and Civil Defence, locals first noticed smoke and flames at the back of the warehouse and tried to put out the fire.
When the Fire Service was informed, two units from the Jirabo Fire Station reached. As the fire quickly spread throughout the warehouse, two more units from Jirabo were dispatched.
Subsequently, two additional units from the DEPZ Fire Station joined the operation to bring the blaze under control.
Ahmedul Kabir, an officer at Jirabo Modern Fire Service Station, said, “Since a large quantity of flammable materials was stored in the warehouse, firefighters faced difficulties in controlling the blaze.”
The cause of the fire and the extent of damage were not immediately known. Fire Service officials said the actual cause would be determined through investigation.
Kanak Chowdhury, senior station officer of DEPZ Fire Service, said, “It is not possible to say right now how the fire started or the scale of the damage. A probe will reveal the details later.”
Ashulia Police Station Officer‑in‑charge Md Tarikul Islam said additional police had been deployed in the factory area to prevent untoward situation.
BATB relocated its factory and warehouse operations from Dhaka’s Mohakhali to a new site in Ashulia last July.
