The incident occurred late on Wednesday night, 21 October, at Biplob Market in the Kha-Para Dighirpar area, under Tongi West Police Station. The injured infant is receiving hospital treatment.
According to local sources, the fire broke out at around 11.50pm at a grocery shop owned by Ilias Hossain. It is initially suspected that an electrical short circuit may have caused the blaze, although the cause has not been conclusively established.
The flames spread rapidly to neighbouring shops, prompting concern among traders and residents in the surrounding area. Local people and market traders immediately tried to bring the fire under control by collecting water from an adjacent pond. However, the fire spread quickly, making their efforts difficult.
After receiving the alert, two units from the Tongi Fire Service and Civil Defence Station arrived at the scene. Firefighters worked alongside local residents and eventually brought the blaze fully under control after approximately an hour.
During the incident, sparks from the fire reached a nearby house, where an eight-month-old child was injured. The infant was taken to hospital and remains under treatment. No further details about the child’s condition have been reported.
Three shops in Biplob Market were affected by the fire. They were Ilias Hossain’s grocery shop, a combined electronics and furniture shop owned by Md Khorshed Alam, and a BD Food dealership shop belonging to a trader named Sujon.
The extent of the financial losses suffered by the shop owners has not yet been established. There is also no confirmed information about whether any other people were injured in the incident.
Md Shahin Alam, senior station officer at the Tongi Fire Service Station, said two firefighting units had been dispatched as soon as the authorities received the report.
However, he explained that the narrow road leading to the market prevented fire engines from reaching the scene directly, causing some delay before firefighting operations could begin.
The incident has highlighted the challenges emergency services can face when responding to fires in densely populated commercial areas. Narrow access roads can delay the arrival of firefighting equipment, while closely situated shops and residential buildings increase the risk of flames and sparks spreading beyond the original site.
Although an electrical short circuit is suspected in this case, further information would be needed to confirm the precise cause of the fire. The incident also underscores the importance of maintaining safe electrical installations, keeping suitable firefighting equipment available and ensuring that emergency access routes remain clear.
For traders operating in busy markets, regular electrical inspections and basic fire-safety preparations can help reduce risks to businesses and nearby residents. In areas where commercial premises stand close to homes, such precautions are particularly important to protect vulnerable residents, including infants and young children.
