Several employees and owners of shops were seen trying to recover what they can from the burning Bangabazar market

“I have never seen such a massive fire in my life. How did this happen?” these were the words said by Abdul Mannan, an owner of a shop in Dhaka's Bangabazar market. 

While standing at the location of the fire, Mannan, who is the owner of RS Fashion, was seen breaking down in tears as he spoke to his family over the phone.

"My shop is completely destroyed,” he was also heard saying. 

Mannan told his correspondent that goods worth Tk15 lakh, and Tk4 lakh cash that was inside his shop and warehouse were burnt to ashes. 

An owner of a shop in Dhaka's Bangabazar market Bangla TribuneSiddik Hasan Tuhin, a businessman, said he has six shops in the Islamia Super Market in Bangabazar. 

"I couldn't even retrieve a single thing from my shops. I slept after midnight and heard the news of the fire in the morning,” he added. 

Tuhin also mentioned that goods with Tk80 lakh has been destroyed in the massive fire. “I have 32 employees working at my shop. Such a huge disaster has come upon us just before Eid."

Apart from them, several employees and owners of shops were seen trying to recover what they can from the burning market. 

A member of Border Guard Bangladesh, who was at the spot to provide security, said: “How did such a massive fire take place? I have never seen such a fire in Dhaka.”

Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune

An official of the Fire Service and Civil Defence said that there was a fire in Bangabazar 20 years ago. “After that, such a massive fire was not reported from anywhere.”

The fire that took place in Dhaka's Bangabazar market early on Tuesday, has not been brought under control even after five hours.  

The fire is reportedly increasing due to a water shortage. At present 50 units of the Fire Service and Civil Defence are working to control the blaze.

Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune

The fire reportedly has now spread to the markets -- Islamia Market and Annex Tower -- on the opposite side of the road to Bangabazar market. 

Police headquarters, Dhaka University, Government Employees Hospital, Animal Hospital, Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters, Wasa, Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force vehicles are providing water. 

According to fire service officials, they do not have enough water that is required to control the flames. 

There are four markets – Bangabazar Market, Mahanagar Market, Adarsha Market, and Gulistan Market, – in the area. General people refer to all of them together as Bangabazar Shopping Complex. Traders said that there are about 3,000 shops in these four markets.

The fire service received information about the fire at 6:10am on Tuesday and reached the spot at 6:12am, according to Rafi Al Faruk, duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence control room.