Livelihoods lost in blaze

"I have become a beggar overnight. My 15 years of hard work has been reduced to ashes."

Md Abul Hossain, 40, owner of "Maa Fabrics" at Baburhat wholesale clothes market in Madhabdi of Narsingdi, was wailing in front of his store yesterday, after a blaze destroyed the market on Sunday night.

"The fire burnt down clothes worth Tk 70 lakh in my shop. I had loaned from different sources to procure the products. How am I going to pay them back?" he said.

Kazal Mia, 56, owner of S Tech, another shop, said, "My shop had 16,000 pieces of clothes worth Tk 1.20 crore, with prices ranging from Tk 800-1,200. All of it has been destroyed in the fire. I don't know how I will turn around from this disaster. I have no savings, and I have a Tk 20 lakh bank loan to pay back."

Kazal has been a cloth-trader for 23 years at the market.

Like Abul Hossain and Kazal, about 250 businessmen lost their livelihood in the blaze.

Photo: Star

Locals said the fire originated around 11:00pm and came under control around 1:45am after 17 firefighting doused the blaze. No one was injured in the incident.

Of around 5,000 shops in the market, 117 were gutted in the blaze while about 500 shoppers became unemployed, according to Baburhat Market Association.

Md Gias Uddin, president of the association, said, "We suspect that the fire originated from short circuit and damaged goods worth about Tk 100 crore."

"We are trying to stand by the victims to help them resume their businesses and demand the government to compensate them," Gias, also chairman of Shimandi Union Parishad, added.

"Besides, a bridge near the market was broken. Fire service could have reached earlier if it wasn't the case. This has intensified the damages," he added.

Narsingdi Sadar UNO Asma Sultana Nasrin said they have set up a help desk to identify the victims and 117 shop owners enlisted their names till yesterday evening.

"A five-member committee has been formed by the upazila administration to investigate the incident," Asma, also a member of the probe body, said.

Md Nazrul Islam Hiro, local lawmaker, and officials of the upazila administration have already visited the market and assured the victims of help from the government, the UNO added.

Nazrul Islam Hiro blamed mismanagement of the market authorities as the cause for the incident.

"I've directed the authorities to find out those responsible for the incident and why the broken bridge was not repaired earlier," he said.

"The victims will be helped to restart their businesses," the MP added.