Fire guts home in Baufal: 12 years of savings for two weddings — Tk 7 lakh — reduced to ashes

A family in Baufal, Patuakhali, has been left with nothing after a fire tore through their home. Nearly Tk 7 lakh (700,000 taka), saved over 10 to 12 years for the weddings of the homeowner and his sister, was burned to ashes, along with cattle, goats, poultry and all the household furniture. The head of the family, Mosharraf Hossain, 30, now says he has no idea how he will run his household.

The fire broke out around 7pm on Sunday (18 October) in an area next to the Banglalink tower in Ward 2 of Daspara Union of the upazila. According to the affected family and local sources, the fire suddenly erupted in Mosharraf's dwelling in the evening, and within moments the flames had engulfed the entire house.

Local residents tried to put out the blaze themselves but failed against its intensity. The fire service reached the scene after being informed and began dousing the flames. By the time the fire was brought under control, however, the household goods, livestock and the cash had all been reduced to ashes.

Mosharraf Hossain said he has long raised cattle and goats alongside farming. He once earned his living driving an auto-rickshaw, but sold it after its battery was stolen. Livestock rearing then became his main source of income.

In a tearful voice, Mosharraf said that over the past 10 to 12 years he had sold five cows and more than 40 goats to save up roughly Tk 7 lakh. He had set the money aside specifically for his own wedding and his sister's wedding.

He said he had not kept the money in a bank — he kept it at home. So when the house burned down, more than a decade of savings vanished in a matter of moments along with it.

By Mosharraf's account, the fire also destroyed two cows worth around Tk 2 lakh, goats, ducks and chickens, and all the furniture in the house. He has lost his source of income, his savings and the roof over his head all at once.

'How will I run my family now? I am completely destitute,' he said, choking back tears. The money with which the family had dreamed of arranging two weddings now lies as ash inside the burned-out home.

Sabbir Ahmed, team leader of the Baufal fire service, said they set out for the scene after receiving news of the fire at around 7:18pm. On arrival they found the house ablaze, began spraying water, and eventually brought the fire fully under control.

He added that the fire is initially believed to have started from an electrical short circuit. The real cause and the actual extent of the damage will be known only after an investigation, he said.

The incident — in which a single evening's fire wiped out everything a family had built over years — is a stark reminder of how dangerous it can be to keep cash savings at home and to neglect electrical safety.

The family is now waiting for the outcome of the investigation. But the bigger question is how the Mosharraf family, having lost everything, will get back on its feet — and nobody has an answer to that yet.