Thousands homeless: Korail slum turns to ashes
Staff reporter :
A devastating fire has turned the Korail slum in Banani into smoldering ruins, leaving thousands of residents homeless and in despair.
Smoke still rises from the charred remains, and the air is heavy with the cries of people who have lost everything. Many survivors have taken refuge in open fields, while others sit silently amid the debris, searching desperately for any belongings that might have survived.
Even basic necessities like drinking water now depend on the generosity of volunteers and neighbours, who are distributing food and water to the victims.
During a site visit on Wednesday, local resident Murshid Mia recounted how the fire erupted. Murshid, who had been sitting in his son Al Amin’s cloth shop near the ignition point, said he heard frantic shouts and the sound of buckets while returning from the mosque after ablution for Maghrib prayers. He ran toward the blaze, only to realize its intensity. He and his son quickly fled to safety.
The fire began at the home of Mintu Mia on Kabirsthan Road in Gudaraghat, reportedly caused by a ruptured gas cylinder pipe in the kitchen that rapidly ignited nearby structures.
Md Russell, another shopkeeper in the area, recalled seeing flames engulf Mintu Mia’s house as residents desperately tried to douse it with water, but the fire spread uncontrollably.
Russell found Mintu’s daughter, Shiuli, distraught and searching for her missing mother.
According to her, the family had around 20 houses two occupied by them and the rest rented out. Her mother had re-entered the burning compound to retrieve important documents after helping evacuate two younger nieces and never returned.
Driver Md Gias Uddin, whose 11 homes and a small shop built on occupied land since 1999 were also destroyed, said the fire has left him completely ruined. Rebuilding would cost at least Tk20 lakh, an amount far beyond his reach.
This marks the third time his properties have been destroyed by fire, with previous incidents in 2004 and 2017. Cleaner Mina Akhter, who earned Tk8,000 per month and lived in the Baubazar unit, lost all her belongings, including her son’s clothes and her only pair of earrings. She said tearfully that all that remains is what she wears now.
At least 1,500 homes were destroyed, according to fire officials. Residents of all ages combed through the rubble in search of valuables, but most found only ashes. People slept wherever possible open spaces, mosque floors, or shops enduring a bitterly cold night without proper food or bedding.
Rina Begum, 45, who lived near the Beltala club area with her husband and three children, described her family’s night in a mosque after losing their rented third-floor tin-shed room. “Where will we go now? How do we start again?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Sanitation worker Jalal Uddin said he managed to save only a few items, with much of their household stolen or destroyed in the chaos. “We had just started a new household months ago. That dream has turned to ashes,” he said, wiping away tears.
The fire service received the first report at 5:22pm on Tuesday.Nineteen units battled the blaze for more than five hours, bringing it under control at 10:35pm. The fire was completely extinguished the next morning after about 16 hours, leaving a vast expanse of destruction in its wake.