Terrible fire breaks out at Al Hamid Textile building in Chittagong CEPZ

October 16, 2025 (Updated till 6 pm) — The Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) was rocked by a terrible fire today. A terrible fire broke out at the garment factory ‘Al Hamid Textile’ (otherwise known as Adams Cap and Textile Limited) located on Road No. 5 of the CEPZ on Thursday afternoon. According to initial information from the fire service, the fire started in the warehouse area of ​​the factory around 2 pm. The fire immediately spread to different floors of the building.

Immediately after the incident, hundreds of workers rushed out of the building to save their lives. Eyewitnesses said that many male and female workers aged 16 to 20 were working in the six-story building. Many people panicked as the fire spread quickly. Although multiple units launched a rescue operation, the severity of the fire was so great that it was impossible to approach the building.

A total of 9 units of the Fire Service, as well as members of the Navy, Army, Air Force, RAB and police, are working together to control the fire. However, fire service officials confirmed that the fire was not completely under control as of 6 pm. Hundreds of rescue workers are working to put out the fire, and additional police have been deployed in the CEPZ area to control the situation.

The exact number of casualties in the fire is not yet known. However, workers fear that some workers may still be trapped inside the building. Rescue operations are ongoing, and surrounding factories have also been temporarily closed for safety reasons.

Meanwhile, tensions had been brewing in the factory even before the fire. Arguments and clashes broke out between workers and management authorities over the recruitment of workers from 8:30 am. The workers alleged that some factory officials were trying to give priority to relatives and relatives. Angered by this, the workers started protesting, and the situation became heated at one point. It was also alleged that some female workers were beaten during the clash.

The incident led to chaos in the factory's operations in the afternoon. Initially, it is believed that the fire may have started in the warehouse due to power supply or contact with flammable materials. However, the fire service said that the actual cause of the fire and the extent of the damage will be able to be determined only after the fire is completely brought under control.

The Chittagong CEPZ authorities said that they are supervising the rescue work from the spot and are ready to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured. The local administration has also indicated the formation of an investigation committee to identify the source of the fire and those responsible.

This is considered one of the worst fires in the industrial area of ​​Chittagong in recent years. New questions have been raised in the industry about worker safety and fire safety measures in the factory.