Fire service sources said the houses were reduced to ashes in the blaze that started at around 8:30am behind Abul Hotel in the area and spread rapidly throughout the slum, mostly populated by garment workers and people from the low-income groups.

As many as 15 fire fighting units rushed to the spot within half an hour and began to douse the blaze with water. The fire was contained at around 9:30am.

Fire sources suspect the source of the fire was an earthen stove at one of the shanties, which soon engulfed the entire area.

The makeshift houses on marshlands were made mostly of tin and bamboo.

No one was injured as most of the garment workers were at work when the incident occurred. Many were completely unaware of the fire until the afternoon when they discovered that all their belongings were destroyed.

Locals and witnesses said the fire broke out at the house of a female garment worker who accidentally forgot to douse the oven after cooking and left the house in the morning.

Shahera Begum, a grief-stricken domestic help, told reporters that her valuables worth Tk one lakh including three tolas of gold ornament, Tk 5000 in cash and a TV along with other household goods were totally destroyed.

"Now I have no other option but to live under the open sky as all my possessions are destroyed in fire," Shahera said in a chocked voice.