Nearly half the benches at Banga Bazar are empty

After a fire completely destroyed Banga Bazar, a wholesale apparel market in the capital city for low income people, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) helped the traders there to set up wooden benches (chouki) as a temporary measure to do the business. The choukis were set up on the 1.79-acre area of the fire-ravaged Banga Bazar complex on 12 April after a week of the fire to temporarily rehabilitate the traders.

Though a section of the traders started doing business, displaying their ware on the benches, nearly half of these make-shift stalls are still empty. The traders who have installed their shops at the makeshift market said the sales are far from satisfactory.

The traders are expected to be fully rehabilitated after the Eid-ul-Fitr.

Speaking to the traders who have started doing business on the benches at Banga Bazar, it was learned that it is very tough for them to sit even in the shade of umbrellas due to excessive heat during the day. They are not even getting enough buyers in the day time. A few buyers come in the evening but they bargain more than buy.

Banga Bazar was a large wholesale apparel market before the fire gutted the market completely. But the traders are relying more on retail sales now. Some of the Banga Bazar traders who were doing business on benches under the Jatrabari-Gulistan flyover have been continuing the business there. Though many traders have got benches, they could not open their shops due to lack of goods. As a result nearly half of the benches are still empty as of Tuesday.

Speaking to Prothom Alo in this regard, Banga Bazar Complex Shop Owners’ Association Zahirul Islam said space has been allotted to all the traders but some of them could not open the shops as they do not have goods. Many have gone homes, incurring huge losses. As space has been alloted in the names of all the traders, there is no hindrance for anyone to start doing business.

Speaking to several traders, it was learned that many of the traders, who have started doing business on the benches, will not bring in more goods before the Eid-ul-Fitr as sales are not good. They have set up umbrellas on their own to protect themselves from scorching summer sun. Many have hung up awnings. But many are not opening shops on the benches, fearing their investment would go to waste they would be able to pay their workers' wages.

Hafiz Ahmed, worker of Arif Garments, said sales poor even four days after opening shop. “Sales were over Tk 100,000 on an average day at the beginning of the month of Ramadan, but I could not sell even one single product from the morning till 1:00 pm yesterday (Sunday). Though the amount of wholesale used to decrease at this time of the month we could not get an iota of time for the pressure of retail selling (in the previous years). We have hung up a tarpaulin awning to protect us from the heat, spending Tk 4,000. We doubt whether this money will return or not. We have sat to have control over the space. We have no more expectation from this.”

Md. Al Amin, a salesperson of Maha Garments told Prothom Alo, “I could sell goods of just Tk 3,000 in four days. I have sat here just to meet the Eid and daily expenses. Otherwise I would have gone to the village.”

Meanwhile, the Dhaka North City Corporation informed the traders while providing the 'choukis' on Wednesday that tarpaulin would be hung for the traders. At the same time electricity connection will also be ensured. But the traders told Prothom Alo that they themselves hung the tarpaulin and the electric bulbs can be used only at night. They do not have permission to use fans at day time even in this extremely hot weather.

As per a report of the investigation committee the Dhaka North City Corporation constituted, the number of total shops at the four units (Banga Bazar, Gulistan, Mahanagari and Adarsha) of the fire-ravaged Banga Bazar complex was 2,961. But the shops no longer exist. Besides, the fire gutted 791 shops at Mahanagar Shopping Complex, 59 shops at Banga Islamia Market and 34 shops at Banga Homeo Complex. A total of 3,845 shops were damaged in the fire.

The report also said the traders incurred a total of Tk 3.03 billion loss due to the fire. Of the amount, the loss for the goods is Tk 2.88 billion and the loss for the market structures is Tk 147 million.

The report further said it is tough to determine the humanitarian and mental loss of the shop owners and workers and the monetary equivalent of joblessness.