Staff Reporter :
The evacuation programme ended in fire ravaged Dhaka North City Corporation Market in Gulshan-1. DNCC mayor Annisul Huq on Thursday announced the completion of the programme. In the same time the mayor said the temporary shops will be open from Friday in the premises of the market.
“Most of the DNCC Market shops damaged in the January 3, fire will be temporarily relocated in the premises of the market. It will be opened from tomorrow (Friday),” Mayor Annisul Huq said while addressing a press conference in the mareket. The mayor announced that the evacuation works for the burnt and devastated market completed.
“An Engineer Brigade from Bangladesh Army was joined after our request to evacuation and clean up work from January 11. They successfully completed the work within eight days. We also with the programme all time,” the mayor said.
It took total 14 days for the Army and DNCC to clear the debrises.
The mayor said the temporary market in the open spaces in front of the devastated market housed 291 shops. 88 of them have already been set up.
He also said the rest of the shops would be moved to the temporary location soon.
A massive fire ravaged the DNCC Market on January 3, causing huge losses and partial collapse of the building. The cause of the fire was unclear. Meanwhile some of the shop owners accused of the fire as a sabotage. But the mayor differed from it. He had said it might have been triggered by an electric short-circuit.
Annisul Huq said, “Local Government Ministry and Fire Service formed two separate committees to find out the cause of the fire. They are still working.”
Replying to a question the mayor said, a decision would be taken about the future of the market after talks with stakeholders.
Meanwhile, a BUET team had examined the DNCC Pucca Market, parts of which were damaged in the January 3 fire.
The mayor said they were waiting for the BUET report before making any move.
Annisul Huq said more 141 buildings in DNCC area are also in risky position. The DNCC will take step soon about those buildings, he added.
Bangladesh Army’s 14, Engineering Brigade chief Major General Siddiqur Rahman, DNCC’s CEO Md. Mesbahul Islam, Chief Engineer Brigadier General Sayeed Anwarul Islam, among others, were present.
