Chaos on Gulshan 1 Avenue

One of the worst beginnings of 2017 was when fire swept through the DNCC market last week, in Gulshan 1, damaging goods worth millions, and burning shops to ashes. It was just at the spark of dawn when the fire started to devour the hard earned establishments of mid-level business-people.

On the day of the fire, the owners of the shops at the DNCC market began to move the un-burnt goods to a secure place. The Gulshan 1 Avenue was blocked off so that no vehicles could enter. Within minutes the whole area turned into a warehouse of sorts. There were brand new furniture, mattresses, lamps, clothes, toys and other goods that were now crowding up the long stretch of road. Most of the establishments were closed down as well.

Some establishments, for instance the popular coffee franchise, Gloria Jeans' Café, used the space in front of their café to store the goods. "We tried to help relocate the products and keep them in our area temporarily. We also tried to talk to the owners and offered them mental support," according to Murshed Elahy, Head of Operations at Navana Foods Ltd.

It will probably take the longest time to come to terms with the damages and losses incurred by the shopkeepers. On a brighter note, however, it was heartening to watch people from all walks of life helping out the victims carry their goods and relocate them. Some had even volunteered to look after the products while the owners went off to search for the rest of the salable goods.

How did the fire start? Well, the investigations continue, stories go around and many conclusions are drawn. However, at the end of the day, it is the innocents that face the music.