88 students fall ill after madrasah catches fire in Narayanganj

At least 88 students of Jamia Ashrafia Madrasah in the Signboard area of Fatullah, Narayanganj, fell ill after a fire broke out at the institution early Tuesday.

Four students are in critical condition, including one who is receiving life support at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (NIBPS) in Dhaka.

NIBPS Residential Surgeon Sultan Mahmud Sikder said 88 students had been brought to the institute. Of them, 53 received outpatient treatment and were subsequently discharged. Four patients were shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

“We cannot say anything with certainty about their condition before 72 hours,” he said, adding that none of the students had sustained burn injuries. All were suffering from respiratory problems suspected to have resulted from smoke inhalation, although not all necessarily had respiratory tract damage.

Doctors were also considering discharging some patients, he added.

According to the Fire Service and Civil Defence, the fire broke out at around 2:00am in the madrasa's five-storey building. Five firefighting units rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control at 3:44am.
Fire Service Duty Officer Shahjahan said an electrical short circuit was suspected to have caused the fire.

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit visited the hospital and said two medical boards had been formed to oversee the treatment of the affected students. He added that necessary medical services and medicines were being provided free of charge.

The state minister said doctors were closely monitoring the patients and many were showing signs of recovery. He expressed hope that around 30 more students would be discharged by the evening, adding that the remaining patients were also doing well.

Muhit stressed the importance of complying with building construction regulations and raising public awareness to prevent recurring fire incidents.