A devastating fire destroyed the home of two retired teachers in Ilabaj village of Sultanpur Union in Zakiganj upazila of Sylhet.
The affected family claimed that cash, gold jewellery, valuable furniture, pension documents, academic certificates and other important papers were destroyed in the fire, causing losses of nearly Tk 3 million.
The fire broke out at around 7:30am on Friday (July 24). Locals suspect that the fire may have originated from an electrical short circuit.
The affected homeowner is Mohammad Eklachur Rahman, a retired headteacher of Zakiganj Boys’ High School. His wife, Salma Khatun, is a retired government primary school teacher.
Mohammad Eklachur Rahman said he and his wife had been sleeping after offering Fajr prayers. They woke up after hearing locals shouting and found the house on fire.
“By the infinite mercy of Almighty Allah, we survived, but our lifelong savings were destroyed in the fire,” he said.
He said the fire destroyed essential pension documents belonging to him and his wife, the academic certificates of their sons Mohammad Bahar Uddin, Kawsar Ahmad, Gulzar Ahmad, Mohammad Anhar Uddin and Azharul Islam, bank and insurance documents, Tk 100,000 in cash, around three bhori of gold jewellery and all the furniture in the house.
Local resident Babar Hossain said the fire quickly spread throughout the house. After receiving the news, a unit of the Zakiganj Fire Service reached the scene and brought the blaze under control.
He said the fire could have spread to several nearby homes if the fire service had not arrived in time.
Mohammad Abdur Razzaq, officer-in-charge of Zakiganj Police Station, said police visited the scene after receiving information about the incident.
“Initially, we suspect that the fire originated from an electrical short circuit,” he said.
