Dhaka, Oct. 28 -- In Narayanganj City Corporation's Ward No. 3, the tightly packed neighbourhood of Painaadi Purba Para is a maze of narrow alleys lined with semi-concrete homes. Inside one such house, small rooms stand like cubicles, shared by several families bound by kinship and hardship.

In one room lived small trader Md Ibrahim. In the two adjacent rooms stayed his aunts-in-law Asma and Salma, with their children. Together, they built a modest life within these cramped walls. But one night, their laughter turned into screams.

It was the early hours of Sept 23. As the family slept, a deafening blast shattered the quiet. Ibrahim awoke in panic and rushed outside -- only to freeze in horror. Flames engulfed the next two rooms, his lov...