A fire swept through Saydabad Market in Roumari upazila of Kurigram early on Sunday, destroying nine shops and causing losses estimated at more than Tk1 crore, officials and traders said.
The blaze broke out at around 4am at the market in Jadurchar Union, reportedly originating from a grocery shop. As the fire occurred in the early hours, shop owners were unable to salvage any of their goods before the flames spread.
A unit of the Roumari Fire Service rushed to the scene and brought the fire under control, but by then nine shops had been completely gutted.
The affected traders were identified as Mominul Islam, Lalchand, Abdus Sobur, Nur Mohammad, Shahidur Rahman, Mizanur Rahman, Babu Mia, Abdul Khalek and Altaf Hossain.
The traders claimed they had suffered losses amounting to around Tk1 crore.
Shahjada, officer-in-charge of Kattimari Fire Service, said firefighters responded immediately after receiving the emergency call and managed to extinguish the blaze.
He said an electrical short circuit was initially suspected to have caused the fire, although the exact cause would be confirmed after an investigation. According to the fire service’s preliminary assessment, property worth approximately Tk1.24 crore was destroyed in the incident.
Roumari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Alauddin visited the affected market, spoke with the traders and assessed the extent of the damage. He assured the victims of the upazila administration’s full cooperation and said necessary assistance would be provided.
Officials from Roumari Police Station, the Fire Service, local representatives and political leaders were also present during the visit.
