The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) officials came under fire from traders when the city corporation officials went to conduct an operation to seal the hazardous warehouse market building in Dhaka's Karwan Bazar.
The officials visited the warehouse on Thursday and granted the traders a two-week deadline to relocate the shops situated on the second floor of the building.
When the officials wanted to visit the second floor of the hazardous building, traders and workers barred them from going in. They also reportedly started protesting with slogans.
At this time, the present councilors and officials of DNCC talked to the traders to control the situation.
The traders requested the officials for a two-month time to move their goods but Karwan Bazar Relocation Committee President Shamim Hasan ordered the traders to move their shops within two weeks.
The official also announced to visit the place again on May 25 to seal the building.
Member Secretary of the Karwan Bazar Transfer Committee and the Executive Officer of Zone 5 of DNCC Motakabbir Ahmed said: "The traders were informed about the seal. But when we went there, the market committee leaders denied this and created an unpleasant situation. We will report it to the higher authorities in detail. Action will be taken by them later.”
According to the sources of DNCC, raw materials are stored on the ground floor, and there are some 176 shops on the second floor of the building.
Since the building was dangerous, the experts of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) suggested retrofitting the building in 2010.
In January 2019, the building was declared abandoned.
After talking to the businessmen, it was decided to shift the 176 shops on the second floor to Jatrabari. However, the shops were not removed despite sending several notices.
It was also decided to seal the second floor of the building due to the recent fire accidents.
President of the Karwan Bazar Transfer Committee and Councilor of Ward no 26 Shamim Hasan, Vice-President and Women Councilor (Reserved) of Ward no 10 Hamida Akhtar, Member Secretary and Regional Executive of DNCC (Region-5) Officer Mutakabbir Ahmed, and also other officials and policemen were present there.
