At least 12 shops, mostly fruit and sweetmeat outlets, were gutted in a fire at Bhanga Upazila Sadar Bazar of Faridpur on Saturday morning.
Officials said that the fire broke out at a shop at the bazar around 5.30am and it soon engulfed the adjoining shops.
Several fire tenders were pressed into service and it took them over four hours to douse the flames.
Abu Jafar, station officer of Bhanga Fire Station, said an electrical short-circuit at the first shop might have triggered the fire.
The amount of loss caused by the fire could not be ascertained immediately, he said.
The local traders, however, claimed that goods and properties worth several crores were damaged in the fire.
