Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has allocated Tk nine crore as Eid gift  for the shop workers, traders and owners at Bangabazar who have been affected in a devastating fire incident recently. The money has already been sent to their mobile phone, said Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah. Read More: Traders of Bangabazar set up around 800 temporary shops at the site.

Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) has announced Tk 1 crore donation for the rehabilitation of traders affected by recent fire at Bangabazar Market. FBCCI President Md Jashim Uddin made the announcement while visiting Bangabazar area this afternoon. Also read: Bangabazar businessmen disagreed on future plans for the site He also urged all in the country's business sector to come forward and stand beside the traders and shop owners affected by the fire that burned down Bangabazar Market.  

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday voiced suspicion that influential ruling party leaders might have carried out the fire incident at Bangabazar market to grab the land. "Some very influential people of the ruling Awami League have long been trying to occupy Bangabazar market. If a real impartial investigation is conducted, then there is a possibility to find out that this incident was completely carried out by the Awami League,” he said. Speaking at a press briefing after a meeting with the 12-party liaison committee at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, Fakhrul said their party wants a neutral probe into the incident to unveil the truth. Justifying his remark involving the ruling party leaders with the market fire, Fakhrul said the government has started talking about constructing multi-storied buildings at Bangabazar just a day after the incident. A massive fire broke out at the Bangabazar Shopping Complex in Dhaka on Tuesday morning and it spread to some other nearby markets, burning several thousand shops, mainly readymade garment and footwear stores, to ashes. On Thursday, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said investigations were being carried out to unearth whether the BNP was involved in the devastating fire incident at Bangabazar or not. He also alleged that BNP was trying to politicise the fire incident instead of standing by the fire-affected people. Polls without BNP’s participation won’t have legitimacy Fakhrul alleged that the government has been planning to retain power through a stage-managed election as it did earlier in 2014 and 2018. “We think that the government wants to hold a unilateral election as before. That is why they have rejected the UN’s proposal (for cooperation in the next national election),” he said. Earlier on Monday Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh is mature enough and there is no need to take help from the United Nations in the national parliamentary election of Bangladesh. Fakhrul said if the BNP and its alliance partners do not participate in the election under the Awami League government, then there will be no legitimacy of the polls “This is the reality. That's why the Chief Election Commissioner said yesterday (Thursday) that if the major parties don’t participate, then the legitimacy of the election will remain in question.”  Mostafa Jamal Haidar, the coordinator of the 12-party alliance, said they discussed with the BNP leaders the next course of action of the simultaneous movement to realise their 10-point demand including the resignation of the government and holding the next polls under a non-party neutral administration. He said they will intensify the movement in the days to come and make it a success with the united efforts of all. BNP standing committee members Nazrul Islam Khan and Selima Rahman were also present at the meeting.    

Traders and shop owners of Dhaka's Bangabazar Market that burned down on April 4, can operate their businesses temporarily from this Saturday (April 08, 2023) at the site and adjacent area so that they can recover some of the losses. Bangladesh Prime Minister's Adviser on Private Industries and Investment, Salman F Rahman, gave the instruction to the shop owners’ association, after visiting the site today (April 06, 2023). Salman F Rahman visited Bangabazar Market along with leaders of different trade bodies and shop owners' associations. Last Tuesday, a fire broke out at the Bangabazar Complex, one of the main shopping areas in Dhaka city. During his visit to Bangabazar, Rahman also interacted with the affected traders of the market. Read More: Fakhrul suspects influential AL leaders behind Bangabazar Market fire After Rahman left Bangabazar, Bangladesh Shop Owners Association President Helal Uddin told reporters that he (Rahman) called him on his way back from the market. PM’s adviser then told Helal that the burnt area will be cleaned tomorrow (Friday), and the traders can temporarily operate there from Saturday. While visiting the market, Rahman also said that he spoke to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was deeply saddened by the incident. “The Prime Minister would like to provide assistance from her fund. Apart from this, many people from all over the country want to help,” he was quoted as saying. Read More: Bangabazar traders want interest-free loans to survive in business “For this, the shop owners’ association has been asked to open a joint account with the business organization here,” he said. He urged the Market Committee to prepare a list of affected traders and submit it to the City Corporation by next Sunday to get financial assistance. Rahman also said that if the previous case filed by some traders of Bangabazar Market is withdrawn, initiatives will be taken to implement the government’s previous plan to build a new market there. He said, when the market was burnt down years back, the government wanted to construct a new building there. But a fraction of traders did not want it and filed a lawsuit. If that case is withdrawn, the market will be rebuilt according to the previous government plan. Read More: Govt to assist Bangabazar businesses to recover from fire damages: PM Hasina

The affected traders of the Bangabazar fire incident have sought interest-free loans to survive in the business and for repayment of their bank liabilities. In addition, they called on the government to develop infrastructures for business operations again at the same place. The traders of Bangabazar Market made the demand while talking to reporters in front of the damaged market on Wednesday (April 05, 2023). Read More: MCCI to stand beside businesses that suffered loss in Bangabazar fire On Monday a devastating fire gutted around 5,000 small shops in Bangabazar and its nearby markets. Standing in front of his burnt shop, businessman Daud Mia told UNB that he took a loan of Tk 15 lakh from the bank a few days ago giving his home as collateral. “The goods of my three shops were burnt in the fire along with other goods, I am now destitute. There is no arrangement to pay the installments. So, I am asking the government for an interest-free loan to repay the bank loan,” he said as he sobbed. Read More: Bangabazar Market manifests govt’s irresponsibility: Fakhrul The businessmen urged the government to allow setting up shops in the same place again so that the traders who have clothes in their warehouse can sell them. Authorities say an assessment is being done to determine the losses from the fire, apparently to devise a way for supporting the affected businessmen.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday (April 05, 2023) said the government will assist the Bangabazar businesspeople as much as possible after estimating the damages caused by Tuesday’s fire. “I’ve already assured that we will help them as much as we can. We’ll assess who incurred how much loss,” she said addressing an event at her official residence Ganabhaban. The event was arranged to receive Tk 316.91 crore as first and second installments of the loan provided by the government for construction of Padma Bridge. Road Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader handed over a cheque of Tk 316,90,97,049 to the Prime Minister as the first and second installments of the loan taken from Bangladesh Bank at a low interest rate under an agreement signed between the Finance Division and the Bangladesh Bridge Authority. Read More: Repayment of Padma Bridge loan starts with Tk 316.91 crore given to govt Terming the fire as a very tragic incident, Hasina said it is too much to bear the suffering and crying of so many businesspeople ahead of the Eid-ul Fitr. She said the government undertook a project to construct a planned market there following the fire incidents in 1995 and 2018. But a good number of people obstructed it and filed a writ petition and then the High Court stayed the project. “Hadn’t it (the project) been stayed at that time, we could have built a good market and then such a terrible accident would not have happened,” she said. The premier, however, lambasted a number of unruly people who attacked nearby the headquarters of the fire service. Their behavior has angered her, she said. Read More: Bangabazar blaze: DSCC forms probe committee  The firefighters rushed to the spot soon after fire broke out to extinguish the blaze. The PM said she asked to identify the attackers and take proper action against them. “Proper action will be taken against them. Case will be filed against them,” she said. She said if anyone attacks the members or vehicles of the fire service or other public property in future, they won’t be spared.

National emergency service – 999 – resumed on Tuesday evening, after being suspended following the massive fire at Bangabazar in the capital, said Police Headquarters. Earlier at noon, the authorities were forced to suspend the service due to the fire. The massive fire broke out at Bangabazar market in Dhaka around 6:10 am on Tuesday and spread soon. The blaze was brought under control around 12:36 pm, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters. Also read: '999' service suspended due to Bangabazar fire At least 12 have been injured in the devastating fire. Meanwhile, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) formed an eight-member probe committee to investigate the fire that left several thousands shop burnt. The probe committee, led by the regional executive officer of DSCC zone-5, was tasked to prepare a list of the victims and investigate the cause of the fire.

National emergency service – 999 – has been suspended due to the massive fire at Bangabazar in the capital, said Police Headquarters. It also requested people to contact local police stations or fire stations in case of emergency. The massive fire broke out at Bangabazar market in Dhaka around 6:10 am on Tuesday (April 04, 2023) and spread soon. Read More: Bangabazar Market fire: 5 fall sick from inhaling smoke The blaze was brought under control around 12:36 pm, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters. However, black smoke is still coming out from different places and firefighters were still working to fully douse the fire, he said. Forty-eight firefighting units were engaged in extinguishing the blaze. Read More: Bangabazar Market fire in Dhaka causes huge traffic jam However, what caused the fire could not be known yet. At least five people fell sick while trying to extinguish the fire.

The devastating fire that broke out at Bangabazar market in Dhaka on Tuesday (April 04, 2023) morning caused an unusual traffic jam around the market area due to the closure of adjacent roads. Fire service, police, RAB, army, air force and navy are trying to extinguish the blaze that broke out around 6:10 am. Read More: Bangabazar fire: Shahidul, Moinuddin watch their businesses go up in flames Jayita Das, senior assistant police commissioner of DMP Traffic Lalbagh Zone, said that traffic movement in the adjacent areas has been stopped to ease the fire control activities. Traffic movement has been closed and limited on the roads in front of the High Court-Gulistan, Banga Bazar, Golap Shah Mazar police headquarters to Dhaka Medical, he added. This instruction about traffic movement will remain in force in this area until the situation turns normal, said the officer adding that general public are requested to use alternative roads. Read More: Fire at Bangabazar market still raging

Shahidul’s life goals and plans were shattered within a matter of minutes as three of his shops burned down in the massive fire that broke out at Dhaka's Bangabazar Market earlier today (April 04, 2023). “I came here around 6:30 am only to see the fire engulfing the whole market. The firefighting units are trying to bring the fire under control but haven't yet managed to do so,” Shahidul lamented at Government Employee’s Hospital. “I had some hope that the firefighting units would be able to save Annex Tower where my shop and two warehouses are located but the fire engulfed it also,” he said. Shahiful, hailing from Shahrasti upazila of Chandpur district, opened his shop at Phulbaria Bangabazar Market in 1991. Later, he became the owner of three more shops. Also read: Fire at Bangabazar market still raging He claimed that he purchased goods worth Tk 8 crore for his four shops ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, but the fire turned everything into ash. “I could not imagine that I would lose everything before Eid,” said Shahidul. Like Shahidul, Moinuddin, another businessman and owner of Dolon Garment store in the market, said, “Everything has been lost.” “I failed to do business for the last two years due to Covid-19. During this period, I faced a loss of several lakhs of taka. This year, I hoped that I will be able to make up for the losses but the fire has ruined everything.” Read More: Bangabazar market fire causes huge traffic jam “I can’t continue my business anymore,” he said. A massive fire broke out at Bangabazar Market this morning. 48 firefighting units are still working to extinguish the blaze.