RAJSHAHI, Aug 15, 2026 (BSS) - Three families were left destitute after a fire destroyed their houses and belongings at Digha Paschimpara village in Bausa Union of Bagha Upazila in Rajshahi on Friday night.

Cash, gold ornaments, rice, wheat, jute, onion, garlic, television sets, a refrigerator, important documents and furniture were destroyed in the fire. The affected families estimated their losses at around Tk 50 lakh.

The fire broke out at the house of Nurul Haque Nuru at around 7pm. Seven semi-pucca, tin-roofed rooms, three cowsheds and three kitchens were damaged.

The affected families are those of Nuru and his three sons Imdadul Haque, Shariful Haque and Sajedul Haque, who live in the same house but run separate businesses and raise livestock separately.

Locals said the fire may have started accidentally from a mosquito coil lit in a cowshed.

Nilufa Yasmin, wife of Imdadul Haque, first spotted the fire and started screaming. Neighbours rushed to the scene and tried to extinguish the blaze before a team from Bagha Fire Service arrived and brought it under control. 

Locals said a refrigerator compressor and a gas cylinder may have exploded due to the heat, helping the fire spread rapidly.

Imdadul Haque said 15 maunds of jute, 50 maunds of onion, 10 maunds of garlic, 20 maunds of rice, 15 maunds of wheat, Tk 5 lakh in cash, a television and a refrigerator were destroyed in his house.

In Shariful Haque's house, 20 maunds of rice, 5 maunds of garlic, 10 maunds of jute, one bhori of gold, Tk 80,000 in cash and a television were destroyed.

In Sajedul Haque's house, Tk 4.5 lakh from the sale of buffaloes, two bhoris of gold, 20 maunds of rice, 10 maunds of wheat, 10 maunds of jute, 50 maunds of onion, 10 maunds of garlic, a television, several mobile phones and furniture were destroyed.

The families are now living under the open sky with little left except the clothes they were wearing.

Minhazul Haque, assistant station in-charge of Bagha Fire Service, said the fire service rushed to the spot after receiving the information and brought the fire under control.

"However, the fire had already caused extensive damage to the houses and belongings before we arrived. Initially, the loss is estimated at around Tk 50 lakh," he said.

Acting chairman of Bausa Union Parishad Abdur Rahman, Bausa Union BNP General Secretary Nasir Uddin and a team of Bagha police visited the spot on Friday night.

Jannatul Ferdous, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Charghat, who is also in charge of Bagha, said she learned of the fire through the village police and that necessary measures would be taken for the victims.