A massive fire at Unit-2 of Drug International Limited in Cherag Ali area of Tongi, Gazipur, was brought under control after nearly three hours of efforts on Wednesday.
The fire was brought under control at around 1:35pm, with 20 units of the Fire Service and Civil Defence and one unit of the Bangladesh Army participating in the firefighting operation. Gazipur City Corporation, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police also assisted in the operation.
Brigadier General Sultanul Afrin Zunaid, director general of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, briefed journalists in front of Unit-2 of the factory at around 2:00pm.
He said the fire broke out at around 10:15am on the fourth floor of a four-storey building at the pharmaceutical factory near Squibb Road in Cherag Ali.
The fire spread rapidly because of the presence of large quantities of flammable materials and chemicals inside the factory, subsequently reaching an adjacent building, he said.
According to Fire Service sources, three units from the Tongi Fire Station initially reached the scene and began firefighting soon after receiving the alert. Additional units from Tongi, Uttara, Gazipur and nearby stations later joined the operation, bringing the total number of Fire Service units to 20, alongside an Army unit.
Gazipur City Corporation provided additional water supplies to support the firefighting efforts.
During the briefing, the Fire Service director general said the government had issued instructions at the highest level to take immediate measures to bring the fire under control.
Firefighters worked in coordination with police, BGB and the Army, eventually containing the blaze. He said there was no longer any risk of the fire spreading to other buildings.
Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan visited the site at around 1:00pm to assess the firefighting operation and emphasised coordination among the agencies involved.
Gazipur City Corporation Administrator Md Shawkat Hossain said the corporation had deployed personnel and provided necessary water supplies and other assistance to support the emergency response.
Meanwhile, a Fire Service personnel was reportedly injured during the operation. His identity and physical condition were not immediately available.
The extent of damage caused by the fire and its origin will be determined through an investigation, according to relevant sources.
Traffic movement in the Cherag Ali area was temporarily disrupted following the incident but later returned to normal.
The coordinated efforts of multiple agencies helped bring the fire under control after hours of firefighting.
