One Dead and Another Injured in Old Dhaka Warehouse Blast

A devastating blast and subsequent fire at a motorcycle parts warehouse in Old Dhaka’s Bangshal area has left a prominent businessman dead and his cousin fighting for his life. The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Friday at Mukim Bazar, renewing long-standing anxieties over safety regulations in the capital’s oldest and most congested commercial hub.

The victim, 35-year-old Delwar Hossain, was a motorcycle parts importer originally from Benapole in Jashore. He ran a wholesale business named ‘Bike Parts Centre’ located right next to the local Mukim Bazar Jame Mosque. Delwar lived with his family on the third floor of the same three-storey building where the accident took place.

According to Hamidul, a local resident and nearby shop employee who assisted in the initial rescue, the drama unfolded at around 4:30 am. Thick plumes of smoke were spotted billowing from the ground floor warehouse. Alerted to the danger, Delwar rushed downstairs alongside his 33-year-old maternal cousin, Najmul Hossain, to investigate the source of the fire.

As soon as they opened the warehouse door, an almighty explosion ripped through the ground floor. The sheer force of the blast triggered an immediate fire and brought down a substantial brick wall. Delwar was trapped and severely crushed under the collapsing structure, whilst Najmul was caught in the ensuing fireball.

As the explosion shook the neighborhood, local residents ran to the scene to extinguish the flames before emergency services arrived. Two firefighting units from the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters arrived swiftly after being alerted. Firefighters battled the blaze for nearly two hours before finally bringing it under control.

Both victims were pulled from the wreckage and rushed to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Regrettably, attending doctors declared Delwar dead upon arrival at approximately 6:30 am. Inspector Md Faruk, head of the DMCH police outpost, confirmed that Delwar’s body has been moved to the hospital morgue for a post-mortem examination. Najmul remains admitted in critical condition, receiving treatment for severe burn injuries.

Initial police and fire service investigations point to a faulty gas pipeline. Investigators believe that gas leaking from a service line had been pooling inside the tightly sealed warehouse overnight. The opening of the door, or perhaps a sudden spark from an electrical switch, likely ignited the trapped vapour cloud.

AKM Mahfuzul Haque, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bangshal Police Station, confirmed that a case of unnatural death is being processed. Rashed Bin Khalid, an official from the Fire Service control room, stated that a formal investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the ignition and assess the total financial damage caused by the fire.