Photo : BSS

CHATTOGRAM, Oct 17, 2025 (BSS)- The Fire Service has confirmed that the seven-storey factory building in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) area, gutted in a fire, did not have a fire safety performance certificate. 

Fire Service Director (Operations and Maintenance) Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury made the remark in response to questions from the media on Friday afternoon after inspecting the site.

He informed the newsmen that only a fire safety plan application had been submitted, but the following stage in the process was incomplete. Building code rules were not followed in the construction of the building either, he noted. 

Following the 17-hour operation to bring the factory fire under control, the building has been deemed highly hazardous. Both the fire service and CEPZ authorities have established separate investigation committees to look into the incident.

Chowdhury emphasized the need to quickly extinguish the fire in the building. Due to limited space, there was no opportunity to extinguish the fire from both sides of the building, he mentioned.
 
"Efforts were made to control the fire from the other two sides, as per regulations requiring a minimum space around the building. It was advised that all EPZ buildings should be promptly converted to compliance buildings and obtains an efficiency certificate to prevent such losses. Fires not only impact the factory owner but also the country," he said.

Stating that a five-member investigation committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the blaze, Tajul said: "We cannot confirm the causeuntil the investigation is completed. The committee has been given 15 working days to submit its investigation report."

He said the building's columns and structure have weakened, making it unsafe for entry. Tajul emphasized the riskiness of the building and called for banners to be placed in front of it.

"A decision on whether to demolish the building will be made after a survey. The building served multiple purposes, with four-floor warehouses and production of doctors' gowns. Due to the flammable materials and lack of proper construction, firefighters faced challenges in reaching the building during the fire incident," he added.

Abdus Sobhan, executive director of the CEPZ, expressed gratitude to the fire service, army, navy, air force, and law enforcement agencies for their swift response. 

He mentioned that their first priority after the fire was to secure the area and ensure the safety of the workers. Fortunately, all workers were safely evacuated without any injuries or casualties, he added. 

Sobhan also highlighted that all institutions are required to obtain a fire compliance certificate before commencing production, and the building in question was compliant. Additionally, workers had recently undergone a fire drill. 

A five-member investigation committee, led by a fire consultant and comprised of experts, has been formed. The committee is tasked with conducting a thorough investigation and will submit a report within seven days.

A fire broke out in a seven-story building in CEPZ around 2 pm yesterday, starting on the seventh floor where warehouses of Adams Caps and Textile Limited and Jihong Medical Products (BD) Company Limited were located.
 
Adams Caps manufactures towels and caps while Jihong Medical produces surgical gowns. The fire quickly spread throughout the building, taking about 17 and a half hours to be brought under control at 7:30 am on Friday.

Approximately 25 units of the Fire Service and four units of the Bangladesh Navy collaborated to extinguish the fire. Borhan Uddin Tamim, a senior executive at Jihong Medical Products (BD) Company Limited, acknowledged the presence of flammable raw materials in the warehouse.

Ten containers of surgical gowns were prepared for export, along with 20 containers of flammable raw materials (fabrics) used in gown production, which contributed to the spread of the fire.
 
This morning, a collapsed wall was observed on one side of the building, with melted iron indicating the intensity of the fire. 

Firefighters were still working to extinguish the flames, as reported by Abdullah, a security guard at a nearby factory.