Naogaon Correspondent:
Fourteen shops were gutted in a fire caused by an electrical short circuit in Manda, Naogaon. Yesterday, Friday, Juma
The fire broke out in the upazila's Barilya Battala market during prayers. Their belongings worth at least 3 million taka were almost completely destroyed in the fire.
Local resident Rezaul Islam said that the nearby worshippers were at the mosque for Friday prayers. During the prayers, the fire started from Al-Amin's grocery shop in the market. It spread to the surrounding shops in an instant. Later, a team of Manda Fire Service tried for an hour with the help of local people and controlled the fire. Sohrab Hossain, a trader in the market, said, "The fire destroyed 14 shops including my medicine shop, Aminul Islam's fertilizer and pesticide shop, Enamul's computer and photocopy shop, Mosharraf Hossain's studio and computer, and Sagar Hossain's grocery shop. The fire caused more than 3 lakh taka damage to my medicine shop." Aminul Islam, a fertilizer and pesticide trader, said, "Since Friday was Friday, I locked the shop around 12 noon and went home. I came to know about the fire in the shop during prayers. I have suffered at least 3 lakh taka damage in the fire. Manda Fire Service Station In-charge Leader Shafiur Rahman said, "We rushed to the spot after receiving the news and brought the fire under control within an hour. It is initially believed that the fire may have started from an electrical short circuit. The fire is likely to cause at least Tk 3 million in damage."
Former President of Mandar Upazila Md. Moklesur Rahman Moke, Senior Convener of Mandar Upazila Jubo Dal Abdul Jalil, and other BN leaders visited the damaged shops.
