A devastating fire that swept through the Korail slum in Dhaka's Boubazar section on the night of November 25th has left an estimated 1,500 households destroyed and thousands of residents homeless.
At daybreak, the full scale of the inferno became clear, with twisted ruins and rising smoke marking the site where two- and three-storey tin-shed structures once stood. Residents, like Rina Begum, a domestic helper who lost everything, spent a "cold, shivering night in the open." Rina and her family sought refuge in a nearby mosque, grappling with the crushing question, "Where will we go now? How do we start again?"
Another victim, sanitation worker Jalal Uddin, lamented that his dream of a new household had "turned to ashes," with most of his belongings burned or stolen in the chaos. The overwhelming feeling among the slum dwellers is one of deep uncertainty and misery, having lost all their possessions and basic necessities.
The Fire Service brought the major blaze under control after five hours of effort and completely doused it after approximately 16 hours. The focus now shifts to the immediate future of the displaced families, who are struggling for food and shelter.
