The fire that erupted in Tultala area of Chandpai range of the Sundarbans in Sarankhola upazila on Wednesday afternoon finally came under control yesterday. Bagerhat Fire Station deputy assistant director Mohammad Manikuzzaman said the fire was totally under control and the firefighters have already left the area for their stations after taming the blaze. Four firefighting units from Khulna, Bagerhat Sadar, Morelganj and Sharankhola stations managed to extinguish the blaze with the help of employees of the Forest Department and local people around 12:00pm. Dhan Sagar Station official Sultan Mahmud said the forest department filed a case accusing six people in connection with the fire incident. Among them, Sogir Choukidar, a resident of Uttar Rajapur village of Sarankhola upazila, was made the main accused. The forest department will investigate the case over the fire incident and submit the report to Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Sunday, said the station official. Mohammad Saidul Islam, forest officer of the forest range (East) of the Sundarban, said the fire caused an estimated loss of Tk2.5 lakh. Meanwhile, a six-member probe committee, led by Mohammad Moazed Hossain, joint secretary of Environment and Forests Ministry, has been formed to investigate the fire incidents that have taken place in the forest range so far.
2016 Dhaka Tribune