Tragic Blaze Claims Life of Fazle Rabbi and Family

A devastating fire in a high-rise building in Dhaka’s Uttara Sector 11 has resulted in the tragic deaths of an entire family. The victims have been identified as Kazi Fazle Rabbi (37), a resident originally from Cumilla, his wife Afroza Begum Suborna (30), and their three-year-old son, Kazi Fayaz Rishan.

Details of the Incident

The fire broke out at approximately 8:00 am on Friday, 16 January 2026, on the second floor of a seven-story residential building located on Road 18. Upon receiving the emergency call, two units from the Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the scene. Firefighters managed to bring the flames under control by 8:25 am, with the fire being completely extinguished by 10:00 am.

Local residents braved the smoke to rescue the family and transport them to a nearby hospital; however, medical professionals tragically confirmed that all three had perished due to their injuries.

A Family Marked by Grief

The tragedy is compounded by a poignant family history. Fazle Rabbi’s first wife, Tithi, passed away suddenly from an illness approximately two years ago. Following a long period of mourning, Rabbi eventually remarried Afroza Begum Suborna, who was a close friend of his late wife, at the urging of his relatives. Little Rishan was their only child.

On typical workdays, Rabbi would drop Rishan off at his grandmother’s house in Uttara before heading to his office. However, as the fire occurred on a Friday—a public holiday—the family was at home together when the disaster struck.

Victim Profile and Final Rites

The deaths have left Rabbi’s parents, Kazi Khorshedul Alam and Ferdous Ara, in a state of profound shock. Ferdous Ara, a respected senior teacher formerly of Nawab Fayzunnesa Government Girls' High School, recently transferred to Debidwar Girls' High School.

Following a funeral prayer (Janaza) in Dhaka, the bodies are being transported to the family residence at Nanua Dighirpar in Cumilla. A second funeral service will be held at the local Daroga Bari Jamme Mosque. The family will be laid to rest on Friday morning at their ancestral graveyard in Chiora Kazi Bari, located in the Chauddagram Upazila.