One year of Chawkbazar fire: Families, locals demand compensation

A mass signature programme was held in Dhaka's Chawkbazar area this morning demanding compensation for the families of the 71 victims of the devastating Chawkbazar fire.

Around 100 locals, including victims' family members, participated in the programme held in front of Wahed Mansion, where the fire had originated one year ago on this day.

The participants wearing black badges recalled the horrific incident and demanded the compensation authorities promised them.

MA Rahman, one of the key organisers of the programme and a member of a local social organisation, said that the authorities showed concern only for around seven days after the incident.

Photo: Muntakim Saad

"Since then, nobody from the government has shown any interest in helping the locals and the victims," Rahman said.

Today also, on the anniversary of the tragedy, nobody from the government, not even the local government members came to attend the programme, he said.

Jarina, who lost two brothers and a two-and-a-half-year-old nephew in the fire, said that the only compensation they received was Tk 20,000 along with the body bags.

"We haven't seen a penny of the compensation money promised to us by the authorities," Jarina said while talking to The Daily Star.

A day after the tragedy, on February 21, the Ministry of Labour and Employment promised a compensation of Tk 1 lakh for the families of each of the deceased, who were either street hawkers, rickshaw pullers or workers at different establishments in the area.