DNCC market fire: Traders selling off goods cheap

Traders of the market of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) are selling off their salvaged goods at a cheaper price after the fire yesterday.

This morning, many traders were seen in front of the ruins of the market selling metal utensils and ceramic goods – whatever they could recover.

“We are selling off our products at a fifth of the price,” Masud Rana, a utensils trader who lost his outlet in yesterday’s fire, told The Daily Star.

Vendors selling metal utensils recovered after a fire on March 30 at the DNCC kitchen market in Dhaka’s Gulshan-1. The photo was taken on March 31, 2019. Photo: Shaheen Mollah

“When new, we used to sell a set of stainless-steel tableware at Tk 500, now we are selling those at Tk 100 each set,” he said. “These utensils aren’t damaged, but they have some burn marks of the fire. So, they won’t fetch the same.”

He was saying that he lost goods worth around Tk 10 lakh in yesterday’s fire.

Vendors selling ceramic items recovered after a fire on March 30 at the DNCC kitchen market in Dhaka’s Gulshan-1. The photo was taken on March 31, 2019. Photo: Shaheen Mollah

Saiful Islam, a resident of Mohakhali Wireless area, came to the market with his wife and bought a set of six stainless-steel forks at Tk 100.

“We came to know from our neighbours this morning that things are being sold here at a low price, so we came,” Saiful told The Daily Star at the market.

Meanwhile, only two shops inside the kitchen market managed to reopen the shutters today.

Milon Miah, 62, owner of the two shops selling poultry, said he had to open the shops for the sake of livelihood. “I have no other way to survive.”

The inside of Milon Miah's poultry shop at DNCC kitchen market in Dhaka's Gulshan-1 in this photo taken on March 31, 2019. His two poultry shops were the only ones that reopened their shutters after a fire gutted over 200 shops at the market on March 30. Photo: Shaheen Mollah

“I have been in this business for 40 years now. I have four staff. Then there’s my family. There are everyday expenses that can’t be ignored. So, I had to reopen,” he said.

“It is competitive in the market. We have fixed customers. If we miss the supply order once, the next order may go to someone else. We can’t afford that,” Milon added.

Moinul Islam, director of Relief and Disaster Management Project under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, told The Daily Star that they are making a list of the workers at the market who were affected in the fire.

“All the workers will be provided with 30 kilogrammes of rice each; 100 will get it today and the rest tomorrow,” he said.

DNCC Market Committee President Din Mohammad called upon the authorities to rehabilitate the affected businessmen at the market as soon as possible.