Sitrang sinks Ctg traders
Businesses in the Khatunganj, Chaktai and Asadganj areas of Chattogram have incurred huge losses as their warehouses and shops were flooded by rain and seawater during the high tidal surge caused by cyclone Sitrang on Monday.
The tidal waters entered Khatunganj, the country's largest wholesale hub, at 10:00pm and the area remained flooded well after 2:00am, by when most traders had closed up shop and returned home.
Traders in the port city say the damage caused by Sitrang has broken all previous records with most stores, especially those with dry goods such as rice, lentils, salt and cement, suffering the biggest losses.
The century old Khatunganj wholesale market houses about 4,000 businesses and more than 5,000 warehouses, according to local business owners.
An estimated 200 shops in the market have suffered extensive damage due to the cyclone, they said.
"A huge quantity of our onion and lentils have been damaged as water entered our warehouses," said Anisur Rahman, a businessman of Khatunganj.
Mahbubul Alam, president of the Khatunganj Trade and Industries Association, said different types of goods were damaged as the tidal and rainwaters entered warehouses and shops on the ground floor.
"The traders never thought that water could enter the warehouses," he added.
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