New Market reopens in full swing

The shops and markets of the Dhaka New Market area started reopening from Thursday after two days of continuous closure due to clashes between the traders and students of nearby Dhaka College following a trivial argument.

Since the reopening, the situation in the area has been normal. The New Market, Gausia Market, Chandrima Super Market and Nurjahan Market started reopening from 10am and within an hour the markets opened fully.

Tamim, one of the shop owners, said, "I collected clothes for the shop on the occasion of Eid only two days ago. But everything has been torched."

Traders said they hoped that they would make up for the losses of the Covid-19 pandemic during this year's Eid market. But the clash destroyed all their plans.

Asked about whether they will be able to recover the loss, Salahuddin, another shop owner, said, "We are counting loss in our business as we have lost two days on this Eid season. But if buyers spontaneously come to this market, I hope, we will be able to recover our loss."

New Market Traders' Association's Vice President Ashraf Uddin said a monitoring cell will be set up for market management. Behavioural training will also be given to the owners and employees of each market.

"We are helping law enforcement agencies to ensure the punishment to the culprits," he added.

Expressing anger, he added that three thousand shops of New Supermarket, seven hundred shops of New Market, 500 shops of Chandrima Super market and more than 400 shops of Gausia Market remained closed during those days which resulted in an immeasurable loss to their business.

He estimated that the damage will be worth at least Tk5-6 crore.

After visiting the entire market area, it was seen firsthand that police were deployed in the New Market area to ensure the security and customers were seen visiting and buying goods.

Rokibul Hasan, a customer who came from Savar, said, "This is where we can buy goods at very low prices. I came here to buy Eid clothes for my family. "

"I would have come here on Wednesday but the market was closed due to the clash. I hope traders will be able to cover their losses," he added.

Afroze, a student of Dhaka City College who came to New Market this morning, said, "Students like us cannot afford to buy costly clothing. And we prefer New Market as we can buy things at a reasonable price."

"I was supposed to go home yesterday but the clash delayed it as I was yet to buy Eid clothes for me and my family."

New Market clashes

Two people died and more than 30 people, including journalists and students, were injured as the students of Dhaka College clashed with the traders of New Market at the Nilkhet intersection around midnight on Monday.

More than 1,300 people have been booked in connection with the violent clashes.

Of a total of three cases filed in connection with the clashes, Yeamin Kabir, inspector (investigation) of New Market Police Station lodged an FIR against 24 identified people and 900 unidentified students and traders.

The whole area turned into a battleground after a fresh clash erupted between them around 10am on Tuesday, as a sequel to Monday midnight's tensions, according to witnesses.

Brick chips and crude bombs were thrown during the chase and counter-chase between the two groups while police lobbed tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.

Around midnight on Monday, the clash ensued between the traders and college students, with the latter alleging that a few of their peers were thrashed and stabbed by a couple of shopkeepers when they had gone to the market for shopping.

Shopkeepers, however, alleged that the students were beaten up as they had refused to foot the bill at an eatery.