/ground-report/media/post_banners/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Bangabazar-fire.jpg)
On Tuesday morning, a massive fire broke down in Bangabazar, the largest clothing shop in the capital city of Dhaka.
According to the Associated Press, a massive fire rages across small shops and buildings in Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka. The cause of the fire is yet unknown. No casualties have been reported so far.
The incident took place on 4 April when the largest clothing center in Dhaka was engulfed by fire. The army personnel and firefighters reached the location within two minutes. Around 600 firefighters and 47 units of service are working to douse the fire.
One of the officials of Bangabazar shop owner, DM Habib in an interview with Aljazeera says that around 3,000 shops mainly made of wool and tin were destroyed.
Bangabazar is a shopping center managed by Dhaka South city corporation. It has a long history of fire hazards. At least six to seven incidents of fire hazards have been reported in the past decade according to the official report, but this time the fire was massive according to DM Habib.
The market is famous for low-price-branded garments like that of Tommy Hilfiger. The market has failed in exporting its garments but has huge sales within the city.
Lax monitoring and poor enforcement came out as a reason for such a hazardous incident that took place in Bangladesh’s capital city. The Bangabazar has witnessed many such instances of fire breakdown in the past leading to a number of deaths and casualties.
Fire service official, Rashid Bin Khalid said most of the shops were burnt into ashes, but there is no information whether there were people inside the shops or not when the incident took place on the morning of 4 April. Abdul Mannan was seen filled with tears while talking to his relatives on the phone “I have never seen such a fire in my life. Everything in my shop was burnt down”
Inhuman comments flooded Twitter
On 5 April, Megh Updates issued a headline “Bangladesh: Massive fire broke out at “Bangabazar”, the Largest clothing market in Dhaka. Several Maulanas reached the spot with sand in hand to douse the flames. They read “Dua” and threw the sand at the fire, but “Dua” failed. Fire service struggled. 4000 shops were reportedly destroyed.
Amid such a disheartening incident the above headline created hypocrisy and hatred within different communities.
Twitter was flooded with offensive comments towards the people reciting dua’s and throwing sand to extinguish the fire.
The comments included “Do you remember our noisy therapy to chase covid? What goes around comes around...As you sow so you reap! Omg, their dua failed? Damn one of the greatest fire extinguisher weapons failed?!!! This is surprising; I think that's normal among Indian Subcontinent Ms ... Pakistan; Sad. Now half of those who have lost their shops will come illegally to India and get Aadhar cards in WB or Hyderabad.
When we thought the situation could not get any worse, these harsh comments flooded Twitter making fun of the people trying to extinguish the fire and reciting their dua in the fire breakdown at Bangabazar.
In a time of helplessness, people should unite for the sake of humanity. It's not the religious beliefs that need to be kept ahead always, it's humanity and unity that should bind people together irrespective of their community, religion, and caste.
Keep Reading
- What is the ‘salt solution’ revolutionizing agriculture in Bangladesh?
- What is causing devastating floods in India and Bangladesh?
- Bangladesh will pay 4 times to Adani for coal power, Cuts food Subsidies
Follow Ground Report for Climate Change and Under-Reported issues in India. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Koo App, Instagram, Whatsapp and YouTube. Write us on [email protected].
