A couple died and one of their children sustained injuries in a fire at their residence in Dhaka’s Khilgaon area on Thursday.Another child of the couple miraculously escaped unhurt in the fire.
Officials blamed short-circuit for the fire.
Families said Siraj Ullah worked for Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Dhaka.
Spokesperson at the JICA Dhaka Office told journalists that Siraj Ullah was the field consultant at one of its support programmes for “Strengthening the Capacity of Teachers Training in Primary Teachers Training Institutes to Improve Classroom Teaching” under the Directorate of Primary Education.
He was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital along with his wife Kaniz Fatema and child Sifat with serious burn injuries at around 7:00am, Rampura Police Station Officer in-Charge Delwar Hossain said.
Fatema succumbed one and a half hour later while Siraj Ullah died at around 1:15am, DMCH Police Outpost Inspector Mozammel Hoque told journalists.
“Their son Sifat is in critical condition,” he said.
Fire Service and Civil Defence Control Room official Nazma Akhter said their fire-fighters doused flames after half an hour.
“The second floor of the seven-storied building caught fire due to short-circuit,” she said.
Kaniz’s brother in-law Ilhalum Islam Kanak told journalists that Siraj Ullah was a Deputy Director in the Directorate of Primary Education before JICA job.
Another child of the couple Sihab escaped unhurt, he said. (Source: bdnews24.com)
