The fire at Gulshan-1 Dhaka North City Corporation market still out of control since it began in the wee hours. Businessmen fear the incident was an act of sabotage.
The market that houses over 600 shops caught fire around 2:00am today. Fears are, most of the shops have been gutted. Around dawn, the part of the market that houses raw goods collapsed.
Last reported, 22 firefighters were working to douse the flames, Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence control room said. They were yet to ascertain the reason behind the fire.
Part of the damage done by the fire at DNCC Kitchen market
SM Talal Rizvi, chairman of Gulshan-1 DNCC Paka Market Businessmen’s Association, said the security guard informed him around 1:40am that the south-east block caught fire.
However, no casualty was reported. Fire service headquarters’ control room officer Babul Mia spoke of a rescue operation in the early morning where at least six people were saved.
Wailing over his loss, businessman Nurul Islam said: “It is only a two-storied building with main roads all around and lakes nearby. What is taking them so long to douse the flames?”
National Human Rights Commission Chairman Kazi Reazul Hoque fears that the incident was an act of sabotage. He spoke to businessmen and others at the spot before making his comment.
“It needs to be verified whether it was an act of sabotage or accident. People are not fools. These types of fire incidents are happening in suspicious frequency. Why are they happening?” he said.
Traders seen evacuating commodities to safety
He proposed for a joint meeting of police, fire service and shop owners in the process to ascertain the reason behind the fire. “If the incident is sabotage, then the culprits must be found out and brought to book. If not, then it must be found out what agencies are responsible for the fire.”
Alongside, many of the businessmen blamed the incident on sabotage but refused to be quoted.
In response to the pointers at sabotage, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia avoided a direct answer to reporters at spot. “Let us douse the fire first.”
