The Bangladesh Army joined firefighting operations at a pharmaceutical factory in Tongi, Gazipur, on Wednesday, 14 October, as emergency services worked to bring a major blaze under control. A total of 20 Fire Service units were involved in the operation at the Drug International Pharmaceuticals factory.
An Army team arrived at the scene at around 12.45 pm, bringing its own water tanker to support the firefighting effort. The deployment added resources to the operation as firefighters continued their attempts to contain the flames and prevent the situation from worsening.
The fire broke out at approximately 10.30 am, according to the initial report. Fire Service personnel responded promptly after receiving the alert and began efforts to extinguish the blaze. As the scale of the incident became apparent, additional units were sent to reinforce the response.
Rashed Bin Khalid, the Fire Service duty officer, had earlier said that 16 units were working at the site, while three more were on their way. Their arrival was delayed by a workers’ protest on the road, which disrupted access for emergency vehicles. The number of units subsequently involved in the operation increased to 20.
A specialist team known as SRT also arrived at the factory to assist with the firefighting operation. Specialist support can be important in major industrial fires, where emergency crews may need additional equipment and trained personnel to assess conditions and tackle the flames safely.
The incident raised concerns in the surrounding area. Fires at industrial facilities can pose significant challenges for emergency responders, particularly when flames spread through buildings containing equipment, stored materials and other potentially combustible substances. Securing access to the site, maintaining an adequate water supply and coordinating the work of multiple teams are all essential to an effective response.
The Army’s arrival with a water tanker provided additional support to the Fire Service as the operation continued. However, the immediate priority remained bringing the fire under control and ensuring that emergency personnel could carry out their work safely.
At the time of the initial report, the cause of the fire had not been established. There was also no confirmed information about the extent of the damage or whether anyone had been injured or killed.
Further details about the incident, including the cause of the fire and the scale of the losses, were expected to emerge after the blaze had been brought under control and the relevant authorities had assessed the affected premises.