The following is a list of industrial disasters in Bangladesh, encompassing major factory fires, structural collapses, gas field blowouts, and industrial explosions that have resulted in significant loss of life, environmental devastation, or economic disruption.
Bangladesh's rapid industrialization, particularly driven by the readymade garments sector and energy exploration, has frequently outpaced workplace safety enforcement, leading to some of the deadliest industrial accidents in modern history.
List of industrial disasters + Major Industrial Disasters in Bangladesh Date Event Location Cause & Key Impact Reference June 14, 1997 Magurchhara gas field blowout Kamalganj, Moulvibazar Occidental Petroleum drilling blowout destroyed billions of cubic feet of natural gas and parts of Lawachara National Park. January 7 & June 24, 2005 Chhatak Gas Field Explosion (Tengratila) Chhatak, Sunamganj Niko Resources blowouts burned 8 billion cubic feet of gas and contaminated surrounding groundwater. April 11, 2005 Spectrum sweater factory collapse Savar, Dhaka Multi-story garment building collapsed due to structural flaws, unauthorized vertical expansion, and heavy machinery placement. June 3, 2010 Nimtoli fire Old Dhaka, Dhaka Electrical transformer explosion ignited illegal chemical warehouses in a dense residential neighborhood, killing over 120. November 24, 2012 Tazreen Fashion factory fire Ashulia, Dhaka Fire in a nine-story garment factory lacking fire exits killed at least 112 workers due to trapped emergency exits. April 24, 2013 Rana Plaza collapse Savar, Dhaka Structural failure of an 8-story commercial building housing garment factories killed 1,134 workers after visible cracks were ignored. August 2016 Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited gas leak Chittagong Gas leak from a fertilizer factory caused over 100 people to fall ill. September 10, 2016 Tampaco Foils factory fire Tongi, Gazipur Boiler explosion caused a massive fire and building collapse at a packaging factory, killing 33 to 39 people. February 20, 2019 Chawkbazar chemical fire Old Dhaka, Dhaka Chemical storehouse explosion spread through narrow residential streets in Old Dhaka, killing at least 70–71 people. July 8, 2021 Hashem Foods factory fire Rupganj, Narayanganj Food processing factory fire trapped workers on upper floors because main exit doors were locked from the outside. June 4, 2022 BM Container Depot fire Sitakunda, Chittagong Fire triggered chemical explosions in shipping containers storing hazardous materials without proper labeling, killing over 40–49 people. February 29, 2024 2024 Bailey Road fire Bailey Road, Dhaka Fire in a multi-story commercial building on Bailey Road killed 46 people.
See also Economy of Bangladesh
References