Years of savings go up in smoke, 100 shanties burnt

Twenty years ago, Hasina Begum purchased three shanties in the Karail slum, investing all of her family's savings.

A devastating fire in 2020 reduced her shanties and worldly possessions to ashes.

Hasina, a house help, was then compelled to take a Tk 3 lakh loan at high interest to rebuild her home. Since then, her family has struggled to pay off the loan.

However, another fire destroyed her home once more yesterday. The tragedy has left Hasina with nothing but shattered dreams and loans to pay off.

"I couldn't save anything four years ago nor this time. How will I repay the loan and rebuild my home?" Hasina asked, breaking into tears.

Like Hasina, many families lost everything in the fire that originated around 4:00pm yesterday.

Over 100 shanties were burnt down before 12 fire engines doused the blaze around 7:30pm, fire officials said.  

Another domestic worker Aruna Khatun, 35, has been working tirelessly to educate her three children since her husband passed away 15 years ago.

Working day and night at various households in Banani, she managed to purchase a shanty for Tk 1.2 lakh three years back.

Then yesterday's fire gutted her home.

"I was at work when the fire started and rushed there, but could not save anything. All my savings have gone up in smoke," she said.

With the help of her neighbours, Aruna recovered a steel trunk from the debris, only to find her savings of Tk 1 lakh reduced to dust.

Shahinur was cooking inside her shanty when she heard about the fire. She immediately grabbed her 18-month-old daughter and jumped into the canal to escape. Local rescued them, but her shanty was burnt to ashes.

"I have lost everything, but I am happy that my daughter is alive," she said.