At least 70 shanties and shops were gutted as a fire broke out at the densely populated Sattola slum in the capital鈥檚 Mohakhali area on Wednesday.
No casualties were reported in the fire.
The fire occurred at about 2:30pm and it was brought under control at about 3:20pm, Fire Service and Civil Defence media cell鈥檚 warehouse inspector Md Anwarul Islam said.
The fire was doused at about 4:30pm, he said.
The extent of the damage could not be ascertained immediately, fire service officials said. As the slum caught fire, residents of the shanties fled in panic.
The flames rapidly spread through the makeshift structures, many of which were constructed with highly flammable materials.
FSCD station officer Khairul Islam said that it was initially believed that an electric short circuit caused the fire.
He said that the exact reason would be known after an investigation.
Fires are quite common in slums, homes to many low-income people, in the country.
On March 12 this year, a fire broke out at the slum, gutting over one hundred shanties and shops to ashes.
In November 2020, at least 300 shanties and shops in the slum were destroyed in a fire at the slum.
In December 2016, more than 100 shanties were gutted in another fire there.
On May 15, 2015, at least 32 shanties were destroyed, and some people were injured in a fire at the slum.
On October 7, 2012, a fire gutted over 100 shanties of the slum and left several people injured.