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Tongi pharmaceutical factory fire fully extinguished after 12-hour
Published : Thursday, 15 October, 2026 at 11:47 AM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
The fire that broke out at a pharmaceutical factory in Tongi, Gazipur, was fully extinguished on Wednesday night after 12 hours, leaving five people ill.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze completely at around 10:30PM at Unit-2 of Drug International Company Ltd, located beside Squibb Road in the industrial area.
Shaheen Alam, in-charge of Tongi Fire Service, confirmed the development to the media.
He said the extent of the damage was not immediately known and no investigation committee had yet been formed. Senior authorities will decide on further action, he added.
The fire broke out at around 10:15AM on Wednesday (October 14). Factory staff initially tried to contain it, but the blaze spread beyond their control.
A total of 21 units from the Fire Service, Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), SRB and Gazipur City Corporation joined the operation. The fire was brought under control at 1:35PM, according to fire service officials.
The blaze disrupted public transport and normal activities within an area of around two kilometres around the factory. Five people, including two firefighters, fell ill during the incident.
Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brigadier General Sultanul Afreen Junaid said the fire affected the second and fourth floors of the seven-storey building. Smoke from burning medicines, including injectable drugs, caused breathing difficulties, he added.
Factory manager Shafiqul Islam Badal said the factory's own firefighting arrangements were unable to contain the blaze, prompting the authorities to seek help from the Fire Service and other agencies.
Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan thanked the agencies involved for bringing the fire under control quickly. He said an investigation committee could be formed if necessary.
Meanwhile, Gazipur-2 lawmaker M Manjurul Karim Roni said that the fire might have originated from a electric short circuit. He made the comment after visiting the site, but said the actual cause would be known after an investigation.
He also said local authorities were cleaning ponds, water bodies and canals to ensure adequate water supplies for firefighting in the future.
The cause of the fire and the total financial losses have yet to be determined.
-EM/TF
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
