Staff Reporter :About 200 wholesale shops, mostly of spices, were gutted in a devastating fire at a two-storey tin shed market of Karwan Bazar in Dhaka on Sunday evening. Most of the shops in this two-storey tin-shed Hasina Market behind ‘Janata Tower’ were depots of spices. Many shops of quilt and mattress were also located there. All the shops were totally burnt into ashes. However, no casualties were reported.The spices include gingers, garlic, chilli and onions, including the powdered ones. These were kept stored in the shops of the market. Besides, some retail fuel shops there, where diesel and kerosene were sold, also caught fire and these inflammable objects helped quickly spread the fire in and around the market.Twenty-six fire fighting units after two-hour efforts brought the fire under control at 10 in Sunday night. But the Fire Service is yet to say what might have caused the fire, and the extent of damage.”The fire began at about 7:45pm, just after the Nor’wester struck. We brought the fire under control at about 10:00pm,” said Tanharul Islam, officer of Tejgaon Fire Service.He said on information, 26 firefighting units rushed to the spot and put out the flame after two hours of frantic effort.Police said some electric poles in the area also caught fire due to short-circuit during the storm.Meanwhile, a four-member probe committee has been formed in connection with the fire that broke out at Hasina Market on Sunday night.The Fire Service Civil Defense (FSCD) headquarters formed the committee, headed by its Deputy Director (Dhaka Division) Mozammel Haque.The committee has been asked to submit the report by three days, said Ataur Rahman, Duty Officer of the FSCD.Mohammad Ali, Director General of the FSCD, said it took time to bring the fire under control due to shortage of water and light.Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Annisul Huq visited the spot Sunday night.The DNCC mayor expressed his hope that the wholesale market of Karwan Bazar would be shifted to Jatrabari and Gabtali within a few months. He came up with the remarks while talking to reporters near the burnt out market. “We have two ready markets-one in Jatrabari and another in Gabtali. We hope we will be able to shift two ready markets in future, Annisul Huq said.He said over the last eight months they have been negotiating with the traders of Karwan Bazar to shift the market in two other places. Rafiqul Islam, a teenager who works at a wholesale shop, said that the fire had started on the northeast side and spread around the market very quickly.Traders said goods worth crores of taka were destroyed in the fire. The fire left behind tears on the faces of the traders as they wailed uncontrollably having lost their goods in the fire.Shop owners were also seen running here and there to salvage their goods from destroying while others stood helpless watching the fire ravaging the shops.
