Businessman searches for transaction book in Banga Bazar rubble
Businessman Masum Rana was rummaging for something in the rubble of Banga Bazar fire. While this correspondent approached him and asked what he was searching for, Rana replied he was looking for the transaction books of his gutted shop.
The contact details of those who took goods from Masum on credit were recorded those books. Masum is now in search of it hoping that he can try to recover the money if he finds the book.
Masum’s eight year old daughter Maisha Islam Mahi also came with father as she often did when the clothing market was buzzing with hundreds of customers.
This correspondent talked with Masum at around 10 in the morning.
Masum said he is from Sapura village under Monohorganj upazila in Cumilla. Eldest of eight offspring of a landless farmer, Masum managed a job at a clothing store in Banga Bazar with help of one of his uncles back in 2003. He could not study more than eighth grade due to poverty. After working for 10 years as a salesman, Masum managed to establish his own shop in rented premises.
Masum had four shops in Banga Bazar, all named ‘Masum New Collection’. He invested around Tk 10 million in four shops.
“I reached up to this though immense hard work. I just started to get the happiness I yearned. I run the whole family. Two brothers would work with me. I married off my younger brother only three months ago. I can’t really fathom what to do now. I had taken Tk 40 lac (4 million) loan from a private bank. Only darkness is ahead.”
A businessman named Md Hossain was found wailing before the gutted market. He said he has not gone to his Dhanmondi house after the fire.
“Everything has been destroyed, what is the point of going home. Eid is near, I can’t understand what I should do now. I had goods worth Tk 15 lac (1.5 million) in my shop. I invested Tk 10 lac (1 million) to do pre-Eid business taking loans from relatives. Everything has now been gutted,” Hossain said.
Massive fire broke out at Banga Bazar Complex on Tuesday morning and quickly spread to other adjacent markets. Fire service doused the blazed with a frantic six-hour long effort. But smoke smoldered from Anexco Tower and some other places of Banga Bazar market on Wednesday and Thursday. Fire service officials said it took till Friday morning to completely extinguish the fire.
Other businessmen were also found in the ruins of the market. They demand the authorities quickly dispose the rubble and allow them to do business at the place in makeshift arrangement ahead of Eid ul Fitr, the peak time for selling clothes.
Salman F Rahman, private industries and investment advisor of prime minister Sheikh Hasina visited the burnt market and said arrangement would be made so that the the traders can operate their businesses temporarily in the area. He told journalists this while visiting Banga Bazar on Thursday.
Jahirul Islam, a trader claiming himself to be general secretary of Banga Bazar unit businessmen association, told Prothom Alo that all the 2,961 shops in the market were gutted. Arrangements would be made for the traders to run their businesses in makeshift shops after clearing the debris.