Hundreds of roadside retailers have incurred huge financial losses, with some losing all their capital, after Hefazat-e-Islam activists set their shops ablaze in Baitul Mukarram, Purana Paltan and Dainik Bangla during Sunday’s Dhaka-siege programme.
“More than 500 retail shops were fully or partially gutted in the fire set by the Islamists, who vandalised and torched roadside,” Abul Kalam Azad, chief of the Bangladesh Hawkers Sromojibi Parishad, told the Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday.
The workers’ body president went on to place the damages at more than Tk50m. The hawkers used to sell a variety of products including clothing, electronics, books and toys.
“I closed my shop around 11:30am on Sunday after seeing Hefazat men vandalising shops,” Babul Ahmed, who ran a stall on the streets, told the Dhaka Tribune. “But they set it ablaze and I have lost everything in the fire. I do not know how I will start my business again.
Another roadside retailer, Abdul Mannan, who sold books in Purana Paltan area, said his entire stock of books was burned, and were worth around Tk40,000-50,000.
“We begged them to leave our shops alone, but they did not,” Suborno Roy, who sold clothing and accessories at Baitul Mukarram, told the Dhaka Tribune;he estimated his losses to be around Tk40,000.