Fire guts 30 shops in Narayanganj Hawkers’ Market

At least 30 shops were destroyed in a fire that broke out early Friday at the Hawkers’ Market in the Chashara area of Narayanganj.

The blaze began around 6:30am and was brought under control after nearly an hour of efforts by three firefighting units, said Shahjahan, senior station officer of the Narayanganj Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Five people were injured while attempting to douse the flames. Traders have estimated the damage at around Tk 1 crore.

Witnesses said the fire spread quickly due to the large amount of flammable goods in the market, which primarily houses clothing stores.

“I had just stocked goods worth Tk 20 lakh. Almost everything is gone,” said Munna, one of the affected shop owners.

Former city councillor Maksudul Alam Khorshed said the market was built with 642 tin-shed shops under a city corporation rehabilitation project. He urged the authorities and the local Chamber of Commerce to provide financial assistance and support reconstruction efforts.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined and remains under investigation.