The New Year celebrations have been marked by several fire incidents and loud noise across the country, causing injuries for a number of people and sufferings for many.

At least 21 fire incidents took place due to lanterns and fireworks in the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, said Rojina Akhter, duty officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) control room.

Besides, people were annoyed with the noise due to concerts and other musical programmes.

The national emergency service – 999– received information on a total of 971 incidents of loud noise due to musical shows.

Being informed, police rushed to the spots and stopped the parties, Inspector Anwar Sattar, mass media and public relations officer of the national emergency service, told the Daily Sun.

Dhaka Metro Rail narrowly avoided fire incidents as security guards removed 38 burning sky lanterns (fanush) from its electrical wire immediately after those landed, said Director (Operations and Maintenance) of Mass Rapid Transit Company Ltd Nasir Uddin Ahmed.  

Despite the imposition of ban by police, the excessive use of firecrackers and sky lanterns was seen in the sky of Bangladesh, particularly in the capital, thanks to the apparent failure of law enforcement agencies to check the selling and buying of these.

In a fire incident, three teenagers, including a pair of twins, sustained serious burn injuries while they were flying sky lanterns on the rooftop of a house at Mojiburghat in Kamrangirchar of the capital.

The injured are Mohammad Siam, 14, and twins – Raihan Hossain, 17, and Rakib Hossain, 17.

They were taken to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.

Of them, Raihan and Rakib left the institute after taking first aid while Siam suffered 88% burns, Tarikul Islam, a resident surgeon of the institute, said, describing his condition as very serious.

Another fire incident was reported at a shop at Nazira Bazar in Old Dhaka around 12:33am.

Three units of firefighters rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control in less than 10 minutes, said Shahidul Islam Sumon, station officer of Siddiqbazar fire station.

He suspected that the fire was caused by a sky lantern, which landed on the vicinity.

Police said a fire broke out at house on Road-15 of Dhanmondi around 2:00am due to a sky lantern.

One family member sought the help of firefighters through 999. But the fire was doused before the firefighters reached the spot.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) banned the use of all kinds of firecrackers and lanterns during the New Year celebrations.

Additional DMP Commissioner Harunor Rashid had announced that cases would be filed under the Explosive Substances Act in case of the use of fireworks and sky lanterns.

The sound of fireworks was heard in the city from the evening on Sunday. But the sky of the capital was covered with lanterns and fireworks just the clock stroke 12:00am.

According to the FSCD, nearly 100 fire incidents took place due to the lighting of fireworks and flying lanterns on the New Year’s Eve in 2022, resulting in an estimated loss of Tk19.75 lakh.

In 2021, 16 fire incidents involving fireworks and sky lanterns led to around Tk4.5 lakh in damage, and an infant named Mahmudul Hasan lost his life due to the loud sound of firecrackers.

Around Tk1.43 crore was lost in 50 fire incidents in 2020 while Tk1.47 lakh in 72 incidents in 2019 and Tk56.6 lakh in 42 fire incidents in 2018.