Sitting under the Kalshi flyover with her grandchildren beside her, 55-year-old Anowara Begum stared at the remains of the slum she had called home for nearly two decades. Hours earlier, she had been preparing for Eid-ul-Azha. Now, she was a homeless destitute. She had nothing except the clothes on her back.

"All our belongings turned into ashes. We barely managed to get out alive," she told The Daily Star.

A massive fire swept through the Kalshi slum in Dhaka's Pallabi area on Monday night, destroying over 250 homes and dozens of shops, leaving thousands homeless just days before Eid-ul-Azha (May 28).

For many residents, the blaze destroyed not only their homes but also took away years of struggle, savings, and dreams built through hard labour.

Anowara had lived in the slum for 18 years. Ten members of her family -- three children and their children -- shared a single small home. Her husband, Nasir Uddin, had come from Faridganj in Kishoreganj years ago in search of work. Together, they raised their children and arranged their marriages.

Fear of eviction had already been gripping the community. Many had been scrambling to find some other place to live before the fire.

"We requested locals to let us stay until after Eid. We said we would leave three days later," Anowara said.

On Monday evening, fire broke out in a neighbouring house and tore through the densely packed settlement within minutes.

"We ran out with our lives. We could not save anything," she said.

The family lost belongings worth over Tk 1,00,000 -- a refrigerator, television, bed, furniture.

All gone.

"Now we do not know where we will go. Until we find a room, we will stay under the bridge," she said, appealing for help.

Among the worst affected was Delwar Hossain, around 60, whose entire livelihood was swallowed by the flames. He owned 10 auto-rickshaws and a garage in the slum. Five vehicles were initially pulled out, but three were stolen amid the chaos. The rest burned. He had also been renting out 12 rooms on the government land where he had lived for 15 years.

"Everything is gone," he said.

"We were preparing to move. But the fire destroyed everything before that," Delwar said.

He estimated losses of around Tk 10 lakh and said he is now burdened with nearly Tk 5 lakh in loans.

Asma Begum, 40, sat quietly with her family close to the Kalshi Kazipara Primary School nearby. She had lived with her husband, seven daughters, and one son in two rented rooms for Tk 6,000 a month. Her husband is a waste collector. Asma works in scrap.

With eviction already looming, they had sent some belongings to their village before Eid. The rest had all turned into ashes. "We will spend Eid under this flyover," she said pointing overhead.

The family now hopes to collect and sell discarded items, raise enough money, and return to their village after Eid.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control around 9:35pm after nearly two hours, deploying 15 units. Fire Service Director Lt Col Md Azad Anwar said the control room received the alert at 7:23pm.

The slum housed around 1,200 homes and scrap shops, with an estimated 3,000 to 3,500 residents. With no nearby water source, 15 water-carrying vehicles were brought in.

Scrap materials and plastic goods helped the fire spread rapidly, said fire service.

No casualties or missing persons were reported as of Monday night. A three-member volunteer medical team treated about 60 injured people -- most with burns and cuts.

Police detained a 27-year-old man, Nazmul Hasan Moni, on allegations of setting the fire.

Residents said he had a dispute with a shopkeeper and had allegedly threatened to burn the slum earlier that day. He was beaten by locals before being handed over to police.

A case is being filed, said Pallabi Police Station OC Hasan Bashir. Eid is right around the corner. For Anowara, Delwar, Asma, and thousands like them, there is no celebration to prepare for. Only the cold concrete of a flyover and the long, uncertain road ahead.