'Those who went home smiling last night are now crying on the sidewalk'
The traders of the capital's Dhaka New Super Market are in no position to recover from the loss endured in today's devastating fire. None of the businesses will be able to make a comeback before Eid-ul-Fitr, says Dhaka New Market Business Association President Dewan Aminul Islam Shahin.
"Those who went home smiling last night are now crying on the sidewalk. The condition of traders is really very bad," he added while addressing the press following the massive fire that broke out at the New Super Market at around 5:40am on Saturday morning (15 April).
Explaining why the fire spread so quickly he said, "The third floor of the market has central air conditioning (AC).
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"The gypsum boards used during the installation of the AC system might be the reason why the fire spread so quickly. The intensity of the fire can be seen from the heavy smoke it generated."
"The fire service responded immediately after being notified about the fire. We tried to douse the blaze with the help of our own fire extinguishers and the water from New Market Mosque's reservoir."
"Dhaka New Super Market is very close to our New Market, so like them, we have tried our best to prevent the fire from spreading," added the business leader.
When asked about the losses incurred by the businesses, he said, "The last 10 days of Ramadan are the best for sales and this is what traders target this period. They even borrow money from banks, and relatives to buy products.
"Regular sales here range from Tk2-10,000 a day. But during Ramadan, that figure shoots up to Tk50,000 to Tk5 lakh."
