When many Bangabazar traders were busy recovering goods risking their lives from their shops amidst smoke caused by a fire that had broken out on Tuesday morning, some unscrupulous people joined there in the name of cooperation and stole the clothes.
This incident took place in the afternoon after the fire was brought under control.
During a visit, it was found that when the intensity of the fire started to decrease a little, the clothes that were not burnt in the fire were brought out from the shops and warehouses.
The traders gathered the clothes in front of the market after bringing those out of their stores.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneA group of onlookers joined them on the pretext of helping them but started looting their products.
Some of them took away stolen clothes by hand and others in small sacks.
No one paid any heed even though the law and order forces asked them not to steal anything from the spot.
One trader, Md Enayet, said: "We tried to douse the fire as best we can. When we were busy bringing the fire under control at the front, our goods were stolen from the back. In the midst of such danger, how can people do such things? I had no idea.”
On the occasion of Eid, traders had bought goods and filled their warehouses. All their dreams were shattered in the devastating fire on Tuesday morning.
Some traders entered their shops risking their lives and brought out some goods. But most of the clothes were burnt to ashes.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneEkram, a cloth trader of Bangabazar, said: "The goods worth over several lakhs were burnt to ashes. Some goods which we had brought out of the shop were stolen. I spent all my capital and bought new goods for Eid, but everything got burnt. What I brought out from my cousin's shop was also stolen. Everyone was requested through megaphones, for the love of God, not to steal any clothes, but no one paid any heed to that.”
Another businessman named Taukir Ahmed said that many people took away slightly burnt or wet clothes and they did not say anything, but “the saddest thing is that my bag of unharmed goods was also stolen.”
A few people were found collecting clothes by removing piles of clothes submerged in water in front of Bangabazar. When asked, they said that they were collecting burnt clothes for their families on Eid.
A day labourer named Matin Mia picked up slightly charred cloth from the pile.
Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka TribuneHe said: 'We are taking the slightly burnt clothes lying on the floor. If I can find one or two good things, I can wear them, or my children can also use them.'
When asked about the theft of clothes from the sack, he said: "We did not take good clothes. We did not go near them. Street children and others stole clothes from the sacks.”
The lives of hundreds of traders were turned upside down in just a few hours as their shops and the goods inside got burned to ashes in a huge fire at Bangabazar in Dhaka early on Tuesday.
The fire broke out around 6am and was brought under control after six hours of frantic efforts.
