Bangabazar traders start opening makeshift shops

Upset Bangabazar traders, whose shops were burnt to ashes in the devastating fire last week, have started to open makeshift shops with the hope of making some business before this Eid-ul-Fitr.

Some 550 traders who had shops on the ground floor of the Bangabazar market complex installed their temporary shops in the open space on the complex premises on Wednesday, in presence of Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Fazle Noor Taposh. 

The rest of the 3,845 affected traders are set to get their space soon.

Speaking to The Business Standard, traders said they are grateful to the city corporation for such temporary arrangements but they are worried about getting back their possession of land against burnt shops.

Take Saiful Islam for example. Losing goods worth Tk80 lakh in the inferno, he opened a makeshift shop of ladies' clothes on Wednesday. "The damage that I suffered cannot be recovered soon. No capital left at my hands, yet I have started the shop to sell my goods stocked at a warehouse in the outside area and recover some of the arrears. The most important reason is to keep holding my shop land," he said.

The city corporation said it will arrange rehabilitation for the fire-affected traders after the Eid. Saiful Islam and several other traders said they were afraid of losing their land possession in the name of rehabilitation which can take a prolonged time. Moreover, all the traders might not be allocated permanent shop space.

"It is not possible to run businesses in open places for a long time. But we are forced to sit here just to hold possession of our land. What will happen after this Eid is the matter," said Nazim Uddin, another victim trader of the fire.

"I have no money to source goods, but I cannot miss the opportunity to keep hold of my space," he told TBS.

They claimed that some influential groups tried several times earlier to evacuate them from the area in the name of infrastructural development. The groups now can capitalise on the situation, they feared. Traders also said many people raised funds for them but they are yet to receive any assistance.

Tenant shopkeepers who do not own shops or land but lost goods in the fire are facing the double whammy now as they are in uncertainty about getting space for makeshift shops.  "I still don't know whether the shop owner will give me space to open the shop and what will be the rent in the open space," said Harun-or-Rashid, who had a rented shop on the second floor of the Bangabazar Market.

Mayor Fazle Noor Taposh, in his visit to the area yesterday, said every affected trader will be able to open a makeshift shop.

"We aimed to start business activities here today, and we are successful. With the arrangement, the affected traders will have a chance to recover a bit," he added and assured that all 3,845 will be rehabilitated after Eid-ul-Fitr.

The mayor said his corporation will provide Tk2 crore to the victim traders. Member of Parliament Rashed Khan Menon, Bangladesh Shop Owners Association President Helal Uddin and business leaders of Bangabazar markets were present during the visit.

Although more than half a thousand have opened makeshift shops, they saw very few customers on Wednesday. "My four shops have been burnt and the goods worth at least Tk4 crores have been damaged. Now I have started again with the hope of a little recovery, but the fact is that there is no customer. Even none of my wholesale buyers came," said Mustafa Kamal, adding that he is now worried about his managing livelihoods for his family.

Another trader, Shah Alam, said, "I expected at least one-third of sales compared to regular time, but it did not happen today. Now waiting for what will happen next."