I Want My Son Back

A tragic fire at the Akram Gaslighter Factory in Keraniganj, Dhaka, has plunged several families into despair, leaving loved ones desperate for news of missing relatives. Among them is 17-year-old Naeem, the son of Kulsum Begum, who tearfully pleaded, “We live in Golambazar. Three months ago my son started working at this factory. He left for work at 8 a.m. today, and since the fire, we have no news. I want my son back.”

The blaze broke out around 1 p.m. on Saturday in Kadamtali, Dipjol Goli Road, Aganagar Union, South Keraniganj. Firefighters managed to recover five charred bodies from the factory, while several workers remain unaccounted for, including Kulsum Begum’s son.

Like Kulsum Begum, Kawsar Sardar waited anxiously outside the factory, searching for his 12-year-old daughter, Monira, who also works there. “She has been working here for almost a year. She left for work this morning as usual. I heard about the fire from locals and rushed here to find her, but there’s still no sign of my daughter,” he said.

Local residents estimate that 35–40 workers were employed at the factory, but the exact number of missing individuals remains uncertain.

Dhaka Deputy Police Superintendent Jahangir Alam confirmed, “Five bodies have been recovered from inside the factory. Efforts are ongoing to trace the missing workers.”

Fire Response and Casualties

On the scene, fire service personnel recovered the five bodies, which were then placed in police pickup vans before being transported via ambulance to the Mitford Hospital morgue. Due to the severe burns, authorities could not immediately identify the victims or determine their gender.

Fire Service spokesperson Anwarul Islam (Dolon) stated, “Upon receiving the alert, seven units worked for over an hour and a half to bring the fire under control by 2:30 p.m. Five bodies were later recovered from inside the factory.”

The factory’s owner, Akram Mia of Jinjira, Keraniganj, has gone into hiding since the incident. Locals note that a fire had occurred at this same factory nearly two years ago, after which it was shut down by authorities. Operations resumed roughly a month later. At the time of the current fire, workers were conducting routine activities when smoke was first seen, quickly followed by flames spreading throughout the facility.

Resident Ramiz Mia described the structure: “The factory was built with a tin roof and walls surrounding eight storage units containing gaslighter materials. We initially tried to extinguish the fire ourselves before the fire service arrived.”

Another local, Kamrul Islam, added, “The factory is completely illegal. The fire highlights the ongoing safety risks and exploitation faced by workers, including children.”

This incident underscores the urgent need for stricter regulation of unlicensed factories and protection for vulnerable workers, as families await news of the missing and mourn the lives lost.