Bangabazar Fire: Burning cigarette or mosquito coil possible cause

Investigators of Dhaka South City Corporation suspect a burning cigarette or a mosquito repellent coil caused the devastating fire at Bangabazar Shopping Complex in the capital.

They also said the fire might have started somewhere between Adarsha and Mahanagar markets of the complex on April 4. The investigators, however, ruled out an electric short circuit as a cause of the fire.

The fire burnt around 3,000 shops and readymade garments to ashes. Shop owner leaders claimed that goods worth around Tk 1,000 crore have been damaged.

The eight-member probe committee of DSCC prepared its initial findings after talking to security guards, traders, shop ownersand employees of the market and witnesses.

Several members of the committee, seeking anonymity, said the fire broke out in an embroidery factory on the second floor of Adarsha Market, adjacent to Mahanagar Market.

They added that there was no electricity distribution box near the factory.

Besides, except for a few places, the entire market's electricity connection was switched off, they said, adding that power of the two markets was out from 11:00pm to 7:00am.

Quoting security guards of the complex, the investigators said electricity was only in the living spaces of the guards, the mosque and the office of the complex at that time.

Besides this, Wi-Fi routers were on, they added.

Investigators said there was a room for security personnel to stay on the third floor of Adarsha Market. The embroidery factory and a warehouse were beneath the room.

During sehri, butts of cigarettes from the third floor might have fallen on the second floor and goods in the embroidery factory or the warehouse caught fire. Apart from this, the fire could also ignite from a burning mosquito coil in the place where the security personnel stay, the investigators suspect.

The DSCC probe body was supposed to submit its report yesterday.

Marina Nazneen, executive officer at Dhaka South City Corporation Zone-1, who is leading the committee, told The Daily Star, "We have almost completed all the work. But we are yet to get the list of the affected people. We will submit the report tomorrow [Monday]."

Asked about the cause of the fire, she said, "We will make our observations in the final report."

However, no fire expert has been included in the committee, formed with councillors and officials of the DSCC on April 4. It has been asked to investigate the cause of the fire, assess the extent of the damage and assess the list of the victims and submit a report in three working days.

Besides, Fire Service and Civil Defence also formed a seven-member probe body on the day and the committee has been asked to submit a report in eight working days.

Meanwhile, the affected traders of Bangabazar held a meeting with DSCC Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh yesterday afternoon over the reopening of the market.

After the meeting, the mayor told reporters that the market would be temporarily open on Wednesday on completion of removing debris.

"We are expecting to get the list of the affected traders by tomorrow [Monday]. We will complete the cleaning work within the time. Bricks will be laid so that traders can start their business," he added.

Helal Uddin, president of Bangladesh Shop Owners Association, said each affected trader will get a space of 17 and a half square feet to run business in a makeshift shop.

In another development, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry has announced Tk 1 crore in grants to rehabilitate the Bangabazar clothing market traders.

Besides, the Hijra community yesterday donated Tk 20 lakh for them.