Over 1,000 shops gutted in fire at New Supermarket

A devastating fire gutted over 1,000 shops at the New Supermarket in Dhaka early Saturday.

The fire broke out at 5:40am and firefighters had brought it under control by 9:10am, but the flames were yet to be fully dowsed 14 hours after they had begun. Firefighters broke in through the roof of the building in an effort to minimize the damage from the blaze. 

Several fire fighters reportedly fell ill from smoke inhalation while fighting the blaze. Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh, fire service, police, Rapid Action Battalion, army, air force and Dhaka Wasa's water-carrying vehicles participated in the firefighting operations.

Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

According to Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Brig Gen Md Main Uddin, the fire broke out on the second floor of the market. The second and third floors of the market had suffered the most damage.

Desperate traders risk lives to save valuables

Traders and their employees were seen frantically trying to save whatever goods they could from their stores after the fire broke out. Many of them did not use any kind of protective gear.

Fire service workers and members of other law enforcement agencies were helping shop owners and employees salvage their goods.

A shop owner said there were more than 1,000 shops, mostly clothing stores, in the South Building of the market, and there are about 500 shops on the first and second floors.

Some traders did manage to get their goods out of their shops on the ground floor of the market. One such trader is Asif, whose shop, No 246, was located on lane two on the ground floor.

Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

"It was 6:30am when I came to know that there was a fire in the market. It was impossible for me to shift so many goods alone. I do not even know the people who were helping me get my belongings out. Without them, it would have been impossible to save my belongings,” said Asif.

“My shop is on the ground floor. There is no fire there, but due to the heat, it was not possible to stay there for long. Moreover, it was not possible to go there due to the accumulation of hot water on the ground floor,” he added.

‘My shop, my goods, my livelihood – all gone'

Abdul Malek, the owner of a shop at the New Supermarket, said he saw his business go up in flames when a massive fire broke out on Saturday.

Witnessing the flames from the footbridge in front of the market, Malek was inconsolable as he had just stocked up for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.

“My shop, my goods, my livelihood – all gone,” he said. “What do I do now?”

Sohag, a college student from Shariatpur,  worked in Dhaka to make some extra money during the summer. He had been working at a relative's shop at New Supermarket, but the sudden fire took away both the shop and his job.

Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

Shakil, the owner of a makeshift watch shop, left his stocks in a nearby store on Thursday night after a busy day at work.

At around 6am on Saturday, he received a call informing him about the fire.

Rushing to the market, he found that his shop, along with many others, had been completely destroyed.