New Super Market blaze: Hopes reduced to ashes

Abdur Razzak had planned to take his child Abdullah Al Islam to Chennai for kidney treatment.

Owner of two shops at Dhaka New Super Market, he had booked air tickets to go to the Indian city on April 26.

Razzak expected to make good profits this Eid, which would enable him to pay for his son's treatment.

But then, a fire broke out and completely gutted his dreams.

Goods in his shops, along with those in about 300 others, burned down in a massive blaze in the market early yesterday, according to traders.

The fire has dealt a blow to the treatment of Razzak's son, who is just above 3-years-old.

"I was already struggling to pay for the treatment. How will I continue the treatment now?"

Born with one kidney, Abdullah was treated at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for three months since birth and had to go under the knife at least eight times.

Doctors have suggested that the child be taken to Chennai for better treatment, which would cost about Tk 14 lakh, said Razzak.

Sarees, worth about Tk 85 lakh, were completely damaged at Razzak's shops on the second floor of the market. He, however, could save around 15 percent of his stock after throwing sacks filled with sarees to the ground from the second floor.

"However, at least four to five sacks of sarees were stolen once they reached the ground."

Razzak, an employee-turned shop owner, demanded immediate compensation on humanitarian grounds.

Saiful Islam, owner of three outlets, tried his best to save the clothes in his shops, but in vain.

"Why didn't I die before seeing my business go up in flames?"

The trader said he and his close relatives own eight shops at the market -- the blaze devoured all of them, causing a loss of Tk 8 crore.

Md Rasel, owner of three shops, said his products worth Tk 1 crore were burned down.

"I could not move any item. Some goods were not burned, but damaged after getting soaked in the water used by firefighters to douse the fire."

Arifuzzaman Arif, owner of Mishu Fashion, said he had Eid panjabis worth Tk 50 lakh in his three shops. He received new stocks worth Tk 3 lakh on Friday, but all of it was destroyed in the fire.

The trader took a Tk 10 lakh loan to buy goods ahead of Eid. He now has no idea how to repay it.

Jahid Hossain, proprietor of three shops, said he had stocked clothes worth Tk 2 lakh for Eid, all of which went up in flames.

"The fire has ruined my business, which is the only source of income for my family of six," said Raj, proprietor of two shops.

"I left the market around 3:00am today [yesterday]. The money from the sales of the last few days was in the shops. The money and goods are worth about Tk 12 lakh. But nothing is left now."

Amena Begum, who owns Sultan Fashion on the second floor, said she bought goods worth Tk 10 lakh from Kaliganj and Mirpur a day ago. "The flames have burned all the goods. My son is crying. How would I console him?"

Another shop owner Amit said he bought products worth Tk 8 lakh for the Eid season. "Besides the goods, money from Friday's sales were in the shop. The fire has gutted everything."

Several other traders were seen breaking down in tears as the blaze destroyed their livelihoods.

Putting themselves in harm's way, a number of shop employees entered the market to salvage whatever goods and money they could.

One of them was 22-year-old Jibon Hossain, a staffer of a shop named Next Level. He entered the market hoping to recover Tk 2 lakh, but he managed to recover Tk 1.7 lakh. He injured himself in the process.

Jibon is now being treated at the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.