Recycling buildings: Inside the country’s largest market for second-hand construction materials
People from different parts of the city, as well as from across the country, come to the market to buy second-hand building materials at cheaper prices
If you drive through or take a stroll along Mirpur-14 to Bhasantek Bazaar, the activities on either side of the road will likely catch your eye — and ears — as it is impossible to shut out the cacophony of the machinery and banging hammers, coupled with sparks from the welding machines.
The largest second-hand construction materials market of the country sits on both sides of the Bhasantek Road.
In front of some shops, workers are busy mending second-hand iron frames for windows and doors with welding machines. You might also notice others polishing the frames with a grinder. Then there are the wholesale and retail shop owners waiting with their second-hand goods like used window grills, wooden doors, steel doors, corrugated iron sheets, long wooden planks, and shop shutters for potential customers.
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According to shop owners, there are more than 200 traders conducting business in the area.
People from different parts of the city, as well as from across the country, come to the market to buy second-hand building materials at the cheapest rates. The building materials are collected from old buildings that are demolished in the city.
Buying entire (old) buildings
On a September afternoon, Abul Kalam Azad, a fifty-something-old man sat on the footpath along Bhasantek Road, rearranging a few bundles of corrugated iron sheets. Next to him were more than 100 long wood planks usually used in construction of large factories or sheds.
Azad, the proprietor of Shapla Enterprise, is one of the leading second-hand construction materials traders in the area. He has been in this business for the last two decades.
"When he started the business 20 years ago, there were only five to six second-hand construction materials shops on the Bhasantek Road," he said.
Azad buys old houses that are demolished to make room for the construction of new buildings on the same plot of land.
He said that he usually buys the whole building. Then he sells different types of the materials to different retailers in the area. For example, he sells wooden doors to one, iron grills and door frames to another, and corrugated iron sheets to someone else.
At the same time, he also keeps some products for himself and sells them in retail. Pointing at a wooden door, he said that he sold a similar door for Tk8,000 two days ago.
"I did not want to sell this door for less than Tk10,000," said Azad. "But the customer kept insisting," he smiled.
There are some traders in different localities in the city who first buy the buildings. When the local traders buy the whole building and need to sell the building materials, they call the Bhasantek traders. Then Bhasantek traders go to the spot to assess the building materials and negotiate the price.
"We buy these materials from different places like Gazipur, Savar and Old Dhaka areas," said Azad. The most expensive building he ever bought cost him Tk7 lakh.
The building's doors and grills and everything in between are up for grabs, except bricks and sand. Local traders usually sell the bricks and sand in the same locality.
"First, I assess the selling price of a door. For example, if they ask Tk10,000 for a door, I would not buy it because I cannot make a profit. I will have to buy the door for Tk5,000 to Tk6,000," Azad explained what factors go into consideration regarding prices.
He said that after visiting the building, they calculate how many things are there in the building and assess the price they can sell the things at.
"If I think I will be able to sell a bundle of iron sheets for Tk6,000, I would buy them for Tk5,000," said Azad.
The customers
"People come from Bhairab, Kishoreganj, Madaripur, Shibchar, Munshiganj, and Sirajganj, among other regions," said Azad.
"They know they will never get such a huge variety of used materials in any other place in the country, let alone Dhaka city," he added.
The customers buy beds, iron sheets, wooden doors, steel doors, steel windows and grills. He sells the used toilets to retail businessmen from the Natun Bazar area.
Many low-income people set up temporary houses in different slums and also come to buy low-quality corrugated iron sheets.
People who build new houses in the city also come to buy second-hand doors, windows and grills in those shops. Many take the products to their hometowns too to use in their houses.
But this business is slow as construction activities have dropped due to the rain. Winter is the peak season for construction.
"In winter, the business will pick up," said Mohammad Jewel, who runs Mayer Doa Enterprise in Bhasantek.
