Fire destroys centuries old land records at Jashore sub-registry office

A fire broke out at the Jashore sub-registry office on Thursday night, destroying land records dating back nearly 200 years.

The blaze erupted around 10:30pm at the old registry building, burning historic documents, including volume books, balam books, indexes, and tip books.

Shamsuzzaman Milon, a mohorar (record keeper) of Sharsha Sub-Registry Office and a previous employee of the district sub-registry office, said the record room contained documents from 1741 to 1940 related to Jashore and surrounding areas.

He rushed to the scene hearing the news and found almost all records destroyed, with some papers damaged by water used in firefighting.

Sohrab Hossain, president of the Jashore Deed Writers' Association, said the building's main gate was locked and the assigned night guard was absent. Locals noticed the fire and alerted the fire service.

Photo: Collected

"We broke open the lock and entered the building. After about 20 minutes of effort, the fire was brought under control," said Senior Station Officer of Jashore Fire Service and Civil Defence, Firoz Ahmed, confirming that documents stored in two rooms were completely destroyed.

Ahmed described the incident as mysterious, noting the building had no electricity connection, ruling out a short circuit.

He suggested the fire may have been deliberately set.