Shop owners still refuse to leave DNCC Market

Leaders of two organisations- DNCC Kitchen Market Traders’ Association (DNCCKMTA) and DNCC Pucca Market Traders Association (DNCCPMTA)- said they do not want to leave the fire-ravaged market, where they have been running their business for years. The DNCCKMTA held a rally in front of the market yesterday morning, asking the traders not to leave the place until they were assured of rehabilitation. Leaders of the organisation demanded immediate intervention of prime minister in this regard. The DNCCKMTA Chairman Sher Muhammed told the Dhaka Tribune that they decided to temporarily run their businesses in the parking lot in front of the market. Insisting that they want to continue their trade only at the market,  he said they will talk to the DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq on the matter. Meanwhile, S M Talal Rizvi, president of DNCCPMTA, said the market may reopen on Friday since it was being cleaned. “Though our market did not collapses completely, we are working to our reopen shops”, he added. This reported yesterday morning noticed that the fire reduced the two-storey market to wreckage. A portion of the market caved in with most shops in the remaining part gutted. The DNCC authorities along with over 100 firefighters were cleaning the rubble and created a hole on the rooftop of the kitchen market and pumped water through it because there was still some sparkles causing  smoke to come out of there. In another development, a seven-member probe body headed by fire brigade Director (training) Lt Col Mosharof Hossain inspected the market  yesterday morning. Mosharof said that they were yet to detect the cause of the fire and estimate the losses. Besides, the road stretching from the Shooting Club to the Gulshan-1 intersection was closed to traffic. Additional security forces were deployed in the market and its adjoining areas to avoid any untoward incident. Police said they remained vigilant in the area so that nothing can be pillaged from the market.Assurance of assistance:Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited the spot. Suggesting the affected traders to meet Annisul, who has reportedly taken measure to cooperate them, Obaidul said: “I will tell the prime minister about your miseries.” Meantime, Fakhrul called for an impartial probe to reveal how the fire originated, demanding immediate rehabilitation by the government. Furthermore, former Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir said Farmers Bank will provide loan on easy condition to the affected traders. The destructive fire broke out in the market around 2:30am Tuesday, leading one portion of the kitchen market to collapse and damaging another adjoining market. Luckily, no casualty was reported in the destructive fire, for which the affected owners and traders held the DNCC authorities and Metro Group responsible.