Fire at Karwan Bazar tamed, burns down 200 shops 

A nearly two-hour-long fire at Hasina Market in capital Dhaka’s biggest wholesale market, Karwan Bazar, has burned down at least 200 shops.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 1 May 2016, 05:49 PM
Updated : 1 May 2016, 05:55 PM

Most of these shops in the two-storey tin-shed market behind Janata Tower were depots of spices.
 
The fire started around 7:45pm on Sunday, soon after a spell of rain and Nor’wester, and was put out around 9:30pm, Fire Service officials said.

A big portion of the market housed the wholesale market of ginger, garlic, onions and chilli. On the north side, there were mills of spice grinders. The market also had other shops as well.
 
After the flames were doused, Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Huq told reporters that there were 186 permanent shops in the market and many temporary ones. “All of them have been gutted.”
 

Right after the fire had started, Tejgaon fire station official Tanharul Islam told bdnews24.com that three of their units were working to bring the fire under control.
 
Later, several other fire-fighting units from different stations and locals joined their efforts.

Fire Service and Civil Defence Director General Mohammad Ali told reporters at the scene that it took 25 fire-fighting units and the locals to put out the fire.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal also went to the scene.

Only hours before the fire, rain and thunderstorms had brought much-needed summer relief to the capital and several other parts of Bangladesh from weeks of blistering heat waves.

The storm had uprooted trees and billboards at many places in the city. Police said some electric poles had caught fire due to short-circuit during the storm.

But the fire-fighters are yet to determine how the fire at Hasina Market started and the extent of damage.

One ‘Jasim’, who works at a wholesale shop, told bdnews24.com that the fire had started on the northeast side and spread around the market very quickly.

Mayor Huq has assured the businesses that suffered losses Sunday night that the damaged Karwan Bazar wholesale market will be restored in a planned way.

“I negotiated with the shop owners eight months ago. I hope we’ll be able to turn Karwan Bazar into a beautiful market just like we did at Jatrabarhi and Aminbazar,” he said.