The lives of hundreds of traders were turned upside down in just a few hours as their shops and the goods inside got burned to ashes in a huge fire at Bangabazar in Dhaka early on Tuesday.
Businessmen were scurrying to save what they could. Some were unpacking, while some were trying to at least bring out necessary documents.
At 12:36pm, the fire was brought under control, but the shopkeepers of other buildings were moving their goods as the fire was still not fully doused.
From 10:00am to 5:00pm, this Dhaka Tribune reporter talked with the leaders of various traders and market owner associations and came to know that Bangbazar, owned by the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), is divided into four units: Bangbazar Complex, Gulistan Unit, Mahanagar Unit and Adarsha Unit, but there are eight-nine markets there, including Banga Islamia, Bangabhumi, Annex and Bangladesh Super Market.
Although the number of shops is unknown, traders estimate that there are more than 8,000 shops including small and big ones, warehouses and factories, each being valued at Tk30-60 lakh.
‘We have become destitute in just a day'
“On the occasion of Eid, I bought goods worth Tk15 lakh for the shop by borrowing money. I invested everything that I had here. There were goods worth Tk1 crore in three shops and a warehouse. But it was all destroyed in this one fire. I became destitute from a king,” Masum, a pant trader at Bangbazar Adarsha Market, lamented to Dhaka Tribune with tears in his eyes.
He said he had nothing else. He could not find any goods. All his cash and necessary documents were inside his shops.
Another businessman, Sharifuzzaman, said he also bought goods worth Tk15 lakh for Eid, all of which have turned into ashes.
“I could not recover anything. Just looking helplessly… I could not save anything. I do not know what to do now,” he added.
Even on Monday, a wholesaler of clothes, Moshiur, was the owner of two shops in the Bangabazar Complex. But on Tuesday he was without a penny. He was in front of his shops watching them getting ravaged by the fire.
Moshiur said on the occasion of Eid, he brought new clothes to his shop. All the things burned down in the fire. He said the only path open to him is committing suicide.
Banga Islamia Market wholesaler Mahfuz said: “I went home last night after buying clothes worth Tk5 lakh, and in the morning I saw the fire. Everyone said that the small fire will be extinguished. So I did not bring out the goods. But everything was burnt to ashes in front of my eyes. I could not do anything.”
‘If the market was risky, why did the city corporation give us a licence?'
Businessman Kamrul Islam said: “I have been doing business here for the last 33 years. The fire service says the market was dangerous. So why was the trade licence from the city corporation issued? Then I pay the rent. A few years ago I paid Tk1 lakh for each shop. Even on Monday, they took Tk8,000. Why did they take the money? If they had warned us, we would have shifted the shops. Who will compensate us now?”
Trader Majed said: “I do not want to say anything. The only question is that if we are doing business in a risky place, why do they ( DSCC) collect money from us? We want to know.”
Md Lokman Hossain Khan, president of B Unit of Bangabazar Complex said: “The DSCC has taken money from us. Tk1 lakh was taken for each shop, Tk2 lakh from some businessmen. We have money deposited with the DSCC. They said that there will be a multi-storey building here. But we wanted a steel building for the market. Discussions were underway in this regard. Amid this, the fire broke out.”
He expressed his doubt and said that it is not possible to say whether it was due to a short circuit or sabotage.
“We hope our prime minister will help us. She will cooperate with us by compensating us,” Lokman held out hope.
