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Published : 04 Apr 2023, 08:41 AM
A devastating fire has gutted shops at Bangabazar, one of the biggest clothing markets in Dhaka, ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
The blaze was reported at 6:10 am, according to Fire Service spokesman Anwarul Islam Dolon.
Fifty fire service units, with support from the army and the air force, were able to bring the fire under control at 12:36 pm.
By that time, the labyrinthine alleys and shops of Bangabazar Market and the neighbouring Mahanagar Market, Adarsha Market and Gulistan Market had burnt down. The nearby Anexco Tower and several other buildings were also damaged.
The first fire service team arrived minutes after the fire was reported as the agency’s headquarters was very close to the market. More firefighting units were deployed over time, but the breeze spread the fire quickly.
Most of the fire service units in Dhaka were called to the area to try and contain the flames. The massive plume of smoke rising from Bangabazar could be seen from a significant distance. Air force helicopters sprayed water on the blaze to try and extinguish it.
Bangabazar, one of the biggest markets in the country, houses hundreds of stores constructed of tin and wood. With the advent of Eid, clothing stores stocked up new products aiming for a big sale. It is still unclear how the fire broke out.
Many workers at the clothing stores spend the night in their stores during Ramadan.
Eight people, including three fire service personnel, were admitted to hospitals with injuries from the fire. However, no deaths have been reported so far.
The traders and their store staff were desperately trying to remove the products away from the flames. Some of them were seen crying. One trader said he had stored several hundred thousand taka of goods at his shop for Eid sales.
Al-Amin who owned a shop in Anandabazar for nearly 24 years said: “I’ve never seen anything like this fire.”
Bangabazar burnt to ashes once in 1995 before it was rebuilt.
Owned by Dhaka South City Corporation, the market is divided into four parts -- Bangabazar Complex, Gulistan Unit, Mohanagar Unit, and Adarsha Unit. The sprawling market houses 2,370 shops.
The market is so popular that several surrounding markets in the area are collectively known by many as Bangabazar. Six units of the main Bangabazar market have already burnt down to ashes. The devastating blaze is still burning in other markets in the area.
“The clothing market houses six smaller markets. All of them have burnt to ashes,” said Md Shukkur Ali, owner of Fashion Warehouse at Banga Homeo Complex market opposite to Bangabazar.
Three other markets near the Banga Homeo Complex have also been affected by the fire, he said around 1 pm.
“Our warehouse on the fifth floor of the market burnt down. We had another showroom on the ground floor of the market, we also lost it to the fire, which has caused us losses of up to Tk 1 million.”
Mosharraf Kamal Bhuiyan, the owner of Bhuiyan Fashion on the ground floor of Bangabazar, said he lost products worth around Tk 2 million to the fire. His manager used to operate the shop with some other staff members due to an illness, but they were unable to enter the market to protect the products from the blaze.
He said as many as 5,000 traders like him have been affected by the fire.
