Traders find hope and despair as they recover burnt clothes, cash box from Bangabazar
Smoke was still seen coming out of the piles of burnt goods in the Bangabazar market area following yesterday's devastating fire, but many traders gathered at the spot trying to salvage whatever they could.
The traders gathered on site on Wednesday (5 April) morning demanding financial assistance from the prime minister. They are also looking to relocate shops.
Shah Alam, a Bangabazar Mohanagar market trader, said shops located in front of the police headquarters did not catch fire but most of the products were damaged due to smoke and water.
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"Thankfully, the fire could not completely raze our side of the area. Some shops are still okay there. We're relocating RMG products among other things from the shops," said the trader.
"We have been trying to save the goods since Tuesday morning but could not. Luckily I got my cash box back," Shah Alam added.
Sajib Hossain, Tanvir Garments shop owner said, "My 17-year-old business has been completely ruined. My shop burnt to ashes. We suffered losses worth Tk37 lakh while I am already in Tk15 lakh debt,"
Meanwhile, smoke could be seen coming out of ashes around the Gulistan-Bangabazar area.
Firefighters were seen still working in the market area.
On Tuesday (4 April) evening, the Annexco Tower located near the Bangabazar area caught fire once again after fire service personnel doused the flames earlier in the day.
Though fire service authorities said the fire in the building was brought under control at around 12:36pm, there were flames coming out from the top floors of the building, Md Shahjahan Shikder, senior station officer of the fire service, told the media yesterday.
This morning, two more firefighting units joined to douse out the flames at the building's top floors.
"Most traders have their own warehouses of RMG products at the top floors. Fire fighters are working as heavy smoke is still coming out of there," Habibur Rahman, a garments worker at the Annexco Tower said told The Business Standard.
"Amid the dousing efforts, some warehouse owners and workers are trying to save whatever is still usable," he added.
Low-income people were looking for good clothes in the burnt piles in Bangabazar.
Some were taking clothes they could wear or sell. Even if burned, they would sew them up and wear them. Others were seen collecting scraps such as burnt tin and iron bars to sell in scrap shops.
Johura Begum, a resident of Basabo, said she took home a few clothes, slightly burnt around the necklines, for her four daughters.
