Massive fire guts popular clothing market in Bangladesh capital

[Homo Sapiens]

Massive fire guts popular clothing market in Bangladesh capital​

Thousands of garment shops burn down in the fire, dealing a significant blow to businesses weeks before the Eid festival.

A fire rages at a popular market for cheaper clothes in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka [Mahmud Hossain Opu/AP Photo]
Published On 4 Apr 20234 Apr 2023
A large fire has gutted thousands of shops at a popular clothing market in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, with shop owners devastated by the loss weeks before Eid, the Muslim festival marking the end of Ramadan.
Hundreds of firefighters and army personnel battled the inferno as it tore through the clothing market, turning it into a pile of ashes. The blaze was brought under control at 12:45pm local time (06:45 GMT) more than six hours after it started at Bangabazar Market early on Tuesday.

Several people have been injured but no deaths have been reported so far. Authorities were still trying to figure out the cause of the blaze.

(Al Jazeera)
D M Habib, an official at Bangabazar Shop Owners’ Association, told Al Jazeera that at least 3,000 shops, mostly made of tin and wood, were completely gutted in the fire.
“The market had readymade garment products worth hundreds of millions. Most of the shops had extra stocks as Eid is little more than two weeks away,” Habib said.
“I am unable to describe the massive loss all of us are incurring.”

A firefighter runs to extinguish the blaze at the clothing market in Dhaka [Abdul Goni/AFP]
Most traders expressed grief and helplessness.
“I borrowed 1.5 million taka ($14,100) to buy Eid clothing,” one business owner said. “I have lost everything.”
Shop owner Akter Hossain and two of his staff were seen trying to bring out clothing stock from their burning shop while onlookers stopped them from going near the fire.
“I just invested around a million taka ($9,500) to stock new clothes ahead of Eid. All of those have turned into ashes. How will I ever recover from the loss?” a wailing Hossain told Al Jazeera.

Massive fire guts popular clothing market in Bangladesh capital

Thousands of garment shops burn down in the fire, dealing a major blow to businesses weeks before the Eid festival.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Destranator]

@Khan_21 : but but BD members never post negative news about their country.

 

[GodToons]

SAD

 

[Khan_21]

@Khan_21 : but but BD members never post negative news about their country.

How is this negitive news? Its more of a tragic news where people died in a natural calamity.

But yes I dont see people posting constructive articles or discussions.

 

[Windjammer]

Very unfortunate.
Such worrisome incidents happen regularly in our part of the world as there are no safety or building measures in place.

 

[Bilal9]

Not to dabble in conspiracy theories - but the market was right next to the new ultramodern HQ for Bangladesh police and the Nagar Bhavan (City Hall) for Dhaka City corporation South (DSCC).

Now you guys can add two plus two and come up with your own theories.

How is this negitive news? Its more of a tragic news where people died in a natural calamity.

But yes I dont see people posting constructive articles or discussions.

No one died. Zero casualties.

 

[El Sidd]

Bangladesh is rich enough to substitute these in less than a day

 

[Bilal9]

Very unfortunate.
Such worrisome incidents happen regularly in our part of the world as there are no safety or building measures in place.

It was an unauthorized bamboo and tin roof kutcha market built on govt. land.

Safety and building measures were naturally absent.

If they build a multistory market in its place, it will have those (fire and electrical safety) for sure.

 

[bluesky]

Not to dabble in conspiracy theories - but the market was right next to the new ultramodern HQ for Bangladesh police and the Nagar Bhavan (City Hall) for Dhaka City corporation South (DSCC).

Now you guys can add two plus two and come up with your own theories.



No one died. Zero casualties.

Nagar Bhaban and Police HQ were nearby but the Fire Brigade had to pump water from far away places in the absence of fire hydrants nearby.

Can you see how icallous we are as a nation!! Inefficient at the lowest rung.

Another Rana Plaza fire inside Dhaka proper. Water was not available to extinguish it on time.

 

[Bilal9]

Nagar Bhaban and Police HQ were nearby but the Fire Brigade had to pump water from far away places in the absence of fire hydrants nearby.

Can you see how icallous we are as a nation!! Inefficient at the lowest rung.

Another Rana Plaza fire inside Dhaka proper. Water was not available to extinguish it on time.

They call it "Smart Bangladesh" - but as the CNN anchor they hired for the Bangladesh Business Summit 2023 commented, expressways, metro rail and bridges don't make a smart Bangladesh.

You need the basics in infra, like fire hydrants, open thoroughfare for ambulances, police and fire vehicles, clean potable water, pollution free transport (not murir tin buses) and getting rid of rickshaws. So many massive problems yet the propaganda never stops.

 

[CallSignMaverick]

Fire extinguishers and the training to use them could go a long way in preventing such accidents, but our schools that should teach such situational skills don't do so.

 

[Bilal9]

Fire extinguishers and the training to use them could go a long way in preventing such accidents, but our schools that should teach such situational skills don't do so.

Some newer large projects in Bangladesh (such as the 3rd Airport terminal in Dhaka being built) have captive water ponds and fire trucks.

This has to be ongoing with new projects.

Also - they have sourced fire ladder trucks tall enough for at least 12 stories and maybe higher. They need to get more.

All buildings need to specify fire escape ladders.

 

[Destranator]

They call it "Smart Bangladesh" - but as the CNN anchor they hired for the Bangladesh Business Summit 2023 commented, expressways, metro rail and bridges don't make a smart Bangladesh.

You need the basics in infra, like fire hydrants, open thoroughfare for ambulances, police and fire vehicles, clean potable water, pollution free transport (not murir tin buses) and getting rid of rickshaws. So many massive problems yet the propaganda never stops.

The only way to save Dhaka is to partially abandon it and re-plan from scratch.
Move the capital, force most factories out, re-design road and utility networks, demolish all buildings that stand in the way and/or non-conformant to an updated Building code with fresh considerations for Fire & Life Safety (including Earthquake resistance).

If we start today, we will see results in 20 years.

 

[Bilal9]

The only way to save Dhaka is to partially abandon it and re-plan from scratch.
Move the capital, force most factories out, re-design road and utility networks, demolish all buildings that stand in the way and/or non-conformant to an updated Building code with fresh considerations for Fire & Life Safety (including Earthquake resistance).

If we start today, we will see results in 20 years.

That is a great idea (I like the part about relocating factories) but how will we deal with resistance from vested real estate and business interests?

I can see that happening in low-cost lowbrow unplanned housing such as badda/adabor etc., but more planned areas like Banani and Gulshan will be difficult and costly. Even the area near Bashundhara Mall is horribly unplanned and a traffic jam nightmare.

The only respite may come if we move out Planned housing to Eastern far flung areas like Purbachal (past Balu river to RupGanj/AraiHazar in Narayanganj), Southern far flung areas like KeraniGanj, Northern far flung areas in Gazipur and Western far flung areas like Savar. The last two is already happening, but not in a planned way, except in spots.

Since these areas are not under City Corporation purview, DNCC and DSCC need to expand their jurisdiction to these areas and enforce planned housing, otherwise unplanned housing development will continue.

This is a horrible and hopeless situation because the uneducated locals in these mofussil city outlier areas have no clue about creating planned cities and housing and how to plan utilities. I have seen unplanned eight story structures going up in Savar neighborhoods with barely a one lane road left for cars to pass. These are unfit for people to live in, forget about motorized traffic. These people like to live in filth, density and squalor and don't know any better.

The DNCC and DSCC idiots are sitting on their collective a$$es and not doing a darned thing....

 

[Destranator]

That is a great idea (I like the part about relocating factories) but how will we deal with resistance from vested real estate and business interests?

I can see that happening in low-cost lowbrow unplanned housing such as badda/adabor etc., but more planned areas like Banani and Gulshan will be difficult and costly. Even the area near Bashundhara Mall is horribly unplanned and a traffic jam nightmare.

The only respite may come if we move out Planned housing to Eastern far flung areas like Purbachal (past Balu river to RupGanj/AraiHazar in Narayanganj), Southern far flung areas like KeraniGanj, Northern far flung areas in Gazipur and Western far flung areas like Savar. The last two is already happening, but not in a planned way, except in spots.

Since these areas are not under City Corporation purview, DNCC and DSCC need to expand their jurisdiction to these areas and enforce planned housing, otherwise unplanned housing development will continue.

This is a horrible and hopeless situation because the uneducated locals in these mofussil city outlier areas have no clue about creating planned cities and housing and how to plan utilities. I have seen unplanned eight story structures going up in Savar neighborhoods with barely a one lane road left for cars to pass. These are unfit for people to live in, forget about motorized traffic. These people like to live in filth, density and squalor and don't know any better.

The DNCC and DSCC idiots are sitting on their collective a$$es and not doing a darned thing....

There is no hope with the current crop of politicians who are in bed with such vested quarters hence what I am proposing will likely not materialise before Dhaka is razed to the ground by an overdue major Earthquake and the massive fireballs the shocks would trigger through displacement of disorganised electricity, gas and sewerage lines.

To be able to fix our road and utility networks, we must relocate people and demolish structures standing in the way.
Old Dhaka should be the starting point.
As for making up for financial losses to private entities, this has to addressed by a combination of personal responsibility, government acquisitions and incentives to relocate.

As soon as you relocate the capital and force headquarters of government agencies out, this will trigger a snowball of private sector relocations.
The government wouls have to incentivise the biggest conglomerates to lead the way and others would follow.