Five dairy cows died when fire swept through a cowshed in Tungipara, Gopalganj, around midnight. The cows were the only livelihood of day-labourer farmer Utsab Bain and his family, and the loss is estimated at Tk 8 lakh at least.

The fire broke out at about 11:30pm on Tuesday, 22 September, at Utsab Bain's home in Boro Dumuria village of Dumuria union.

It started, reportedly, from a short circuit in an electric fan in the cowshed after the family had gone to sleep, and quickly engulfed the shed. Family members and neighbours tried to put it out before calling the fire service.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control in about half an hour, but by then all five cows had died and the shed had burnt down completely.

Utsab Bain had been rearing the cows for a long time in the hope of lifting his family out of hardship. "I built a small farm with a lifetime of savings and labour. The fire at night finished it all," he said.

Tungipara fire station officer Bedaruddin confirmed the incident and said the farmer's loss was initially estimated at no less than Tk 8 lakh.

The report is by Desh Rupantor's Gopalganj correspondent.

Photo: Khaleq / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Source: Desh Rupantor