Bangabazar fire: DSCC probe puts losses at Tk 2.88b

The financial losses due to the devastating fire at Bangabazar market have been primarily estimated at Tk 2.88 billion, according to a Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) probe committee report.

Marina Nazneen, head of the committee and regional executive officer at the DSCC, placed the report to mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh on Tuesday.

The report showed 3,845 traders have been affected by the fire and each shop operator at the market incurred Tk 0.75-million loss on average.

The fire also caused losses amounting to nearly Tk 150 million to the market’s structures, it revealed.

The fire, which broke out on April 04, reduced more than 5,000 shops to ashes at the market.

However, the Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence also formed a separate investigation committee over the fire incident.

Back in business soon

The shop owners will soon be able to resume business at makeshift shops as the DSCC has started preparing the site by dumping sand and laying bricks, reports BSS.

“The DSCC has started preparing 1.79 acres of land for the market under the supervision of its chief engineer Saleh Ahmed in cooperation with the corporation’s investigation committee,” said DSCC spokesperson Abu Naser on Tuesday.

As per the work, sand and bricks will be dumped on the site to help resume business at makeshift shops, he said, adding that the DSCC has already dumped 40 trucks of sand and 90,000 bricks on the ground.

“As per our primary estimation, a total of 0.25 million bricks and 150 trucks of sand will be needed to prepare the entire ground,” said Mr Naser. The corporation has a target to complete dumping sand and laying bricks in the entire site by today (Wednesday).

Besides, the DSCC is removing waste from the site and it has so far removed 1,060 tonnes of waste from the area.