BNP on Wednesday demanded adequate compensation for the traders and employees affected by the massive fire that destroyed  the Bangabazar market on Tuesday.

BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas made the demand while talking to reporters after visiting the fire-ravaged Bangabazar.

"The businessmen have lost lakhs of takas in the devastating fire. The government has announced to provide each of the affected traders with only Tk15,000. It is absolutely inadequate,” he said.

The BNP leader said there are shop employees alongside the affected traders who also should be given the compensation.

“We think this compensation for the victim should be adequate. Besides, the employees of the gutted shops should also be given the compensation accordingly,” he observed.  

Abbas, a former mayor of undivided Dhaka, said he has got shocked seeing the trail of devastation of the fire. “All the shops were burnt to ashes. How can traders overcome this loss?”

Expressing their party’s sympathy to the affected businessmen and shopkeepers, he said BNP will also provide the affected people with financial assistance as much as possible. “We’ll stand by them (affected traders and employees).”

Read more: Govt to assist Bangabazar businesses to recover from fire damages: PM Hasina

Abbas along with BNP south city unit convener Abdus Salam, member secretary Rafiqul Alam Mojnu and member Ishraque Hossain went to the fire-hit   Bangabazar market around 12:15amand talked to the victims.

A massive fire broke out at the Bangabazar Shopping Complex in Dhaka on Tuesday morning and it spread to some other nearby markets, burning over 4,000 shops, mainly readymade garment and footwear stores, to ashes.