Bangabazar fire destroyed 3,845 shops, caused Tk 3.03bn damage: probe

The committee, formed by Dhaka South City Corporation, submits its report to Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh

The fire at Bangabazar, the largest clothing marketplace in Bangladesh, destroyed 3,845 shops last week, causing a total damage of Tk 3.03 billion, a committee to assess the extent of the damage and identify the affected traders has found.

The committee, formed by Dhaka South City Corporation, submitted its report to Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh on Tuesday, said Md Abu Naser, a spokesman for the city corporation.

The investigators did not find evidence of sabotage behind the blaze that originated at a corner far from the street and ripped through a labyrinth of shops made of wood and tin sheets on Apr 4.

The committee, headed by the city corporation’s regional CEO Merina Naznin, believes a carelessly thrown lit cigarette butt or mosquito coil triggered the fire.