DCC market traders desperate for solutions

The fire gutted around 700 permanent and temporary shops – 400 shops in the kitchen market and around 300 shops in the next door wholesale supermarket that sold various household items and everyday groceries, baby food, furniture and other items. The market’s traders and their association leaders claimed that the loss from the fire would be around Tk500-600 crore and around 2,500 people had lost their employment. Even yesterday, many victims who lost their goods and cash in the fire were found searching the rubble trying to salvage for anything of value. Firefighters continued to shoot jets of water into the collapsed structure to douse flames or smoke that appeared from time to time while they continued to excavate the rubble. Traders were also standing beside the bulldozer that was excavating. Salahuddin, 45, owner of Alif Enterprise, said he had put Tk12.24 lakhs in his second floor shop’s cash box that night. He said he had no way left to repay his loans or run the expenses of his household. Salima Mamun Naznin, owner of Isha Fashion and Mamar Store said all she had was loans since she started out in 2013 and was barely making profits before this happened. Md Golap Mia, owner of Golap Enterprise, Bismillah Sanitary and Hardware owner Md Abu Salam, owner of Bhai Bhai Store Wahidur Rahman among many other victims had the same story.Demand for alternative arrangementDNCC Kitchen Market Association Chairman Sher Mohammad has urged the city corporation to make a temporary arrangement for the affected businesses so that they can start operating again. He made the demand at a press conference yesterday on the market premises. Other leaders of the association and traders were also present. He told the media that they had already made a list of the kitchen market’s traders and it would be submitted to DNCC and the Ministry of the Disaster Management and Relief.Collapsed building needs to be removed soonBangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) experts have said that the collapsed part of the kitchen market at Gulshan 1 DCC Market should be removed quickly after a brief inspection. A three-member committee led by Buet Prof Dr Syed Ishtiaq Ahmad conducted the inspection at the fire-razed market yesterday. Prof Ishtiaq emphasised on immediate measures to take away the collapsed part of the market at a media briefing after the inspection. He said: “We have collected samples from the burnt building and checked the beams and columns of the market.” He advised business owners and shoppers who are now using the unburnt part of the market to stay alert to avoid any untoward circumstances. “We will figure out the reasons behind the fire after some tests on the collected sample,” he said while answering a question. DNCC Chief Engineer Brig Md Sayeed Anwarul Islam along with senior city officials were present during the inspection. During a visit yesterday afternoon DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq assured the market traders that the city corporation would repair the damaged part of the burnt building if Buet approved its use. A massive fire broke out in Gulshan 1 DNCC market around 2:30am on Jan 3. The fire caused a building of the kitchen market to collapse and left several other shops completely damaged in another building of the market. Shop owners have alleged arson and blamed the city corporation top brass and Metro Group, a company that has a contract with the city to build a high-rise market on that property. City Mayor Annisul Huq, however, has denied the allegations and insisted that it was an accident.