City corporation opens probe into New Super Market fire

Dhaka South City Corporation has opened an investigation to find out the cause of the fire at New Super Market, make a list of those affected by the blaze and assess the extent of damage.

It formed an inquiry committee of nine members on Sunday, a day after the fire burnt nearly 600 shops and partially damaged 100 others. The three-floor market has about 1,300 shops.

Merina Naznin, a regional executive officer of the city corporation, will head the investigation. The committee has three days to submit its report, according to the city corporation’s spokesman Md Abu Naser.

The fire was doused completely on Sunday morning, 27 hours after it broke out at the popular shopping complex between New Market and Dhaka College.

The blaze started on the third floor of the market at 5:40 am on Saturday. Twenty-eight fire service units brought the flames under control at 9:10 pm, but it took time to completely put out the flames. At least 31 people, including firefighters, were injured in the firefighting effort.

The city corporation had investigated the blaze that burnt down Bangabazar clothing market on Apr 4. The investigators said the fire caused a damage of Tk 3.03 billion.

It did not find evidence of sabotage, but said a lit cigarette butt or mosquito coil might have caused the fire.

Another market near Bangabazar caught fire recently. These incidents arouse suspicion about possible acts of sabotage.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday asked authorities to investigate whether the BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami are linked to the recent market fires.

She urged all to remain alert, keeping in mind the past misdeeds by the opposition group. Besides, she asked the authorities to increase surveillance at important marketplaces.

An investigation would be needed into whether any of the recent fires were the result of sabotage, fire service chief Brig Gen Main Uddin said during a visit to the New Super Market on Saturday.