The devastating fire that broke out at Bangabazar Shopping Complex, a popular clothing market in the capital, on Tuesday morning burnt to ashes around 5000 shops.
The deadly fire which originated around 6:10am rapidly spread to adjacent markets.
The blaze was brought under control after over six hours, said Raqibul Hassan, duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence control room.
The blaze, later, spread to Mahanagar Market, Adarsha Market, Gulistan Market, Enexco Tower and Banga Homeo.
Most of the shops at the markets were burnt to ashes as those were mostly made of tin and wood.
Only a small section of the shop owners and workers, managed to bring out their stocks of clothes from the burnt shops, defying the risk of fire.
Furniture and other goods at a barrack located on the 5th floor of a building of the police headquarters was burnt due to the fire that spread from Bangabazar market, adjacent to the police headquarters, Inspector General of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdulla-Al-Mamun said during a briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence already formed a five-member probe committee to find out the cause of inferno, said its Director General Brigadier General Md Main Uddin who oversaw the firefighters' activities since morning.
A total of 48 fire fighting units were in action to bring the fire under control, said sources at the fire control room.
Fire Service and Civil Defence control room duty officer Rafi Al Farruq said the fire originated around 6:10am on Tuesday. Being informed, one fire fighting unit rushed to the spot at 6:12am. Later, others joined one after another.
Water shortage caused delay in their work. Firemen took water from Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall and a pond of Dhaka University and some nearby hospitals.
A joint support team of Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force were engaged to control the fire in Bangabazar, said a release of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and local people worked to bring the fire under control.
Rescue teams were deployed to evacuate people and goods from the nearby households.
The fire might originate from the electric short circuit, fire service officials said.
The massive fire has left at least 36 people injured.
Between 8:30am to 2pm around 16 people - including five firefighters, one sub-inspector (SI) of police and one RAB SI - took medical treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Besides, 18 people received treatment at the Government Employees’ Hospital.
The fire service had declared the Bangabazar apparel market 'risky' on April 1 in 2019, said Brig Gen Md Main Uddin, Director General (DG) of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence.
"We even hung a warning sign following the declaration," he said while briefing media at the fire service headquarters near Bangabazar at around 1:20pm on Tuesday.
He said the market authority was served with official notice at least ten times.
A banner, hung by the fire service on the market, advised everyone to exercise caution as the building was deemed highly risky in terms of fire safety.
The fire service DG identified three reasons behind the delay in controlling the blaze.
Showing a video recorded on his mobile phone, the DG said firefighters struggled to work there amidst a huge crowd around the area.
"It was so crowded that firefighters were finding it difficult to follow their drill," he said.
Main Uddin attributed the lack of water and the direction of the wind as the second and third reasons.
When asked about the attack in the fire service headquarters, he said the incident will be investigated and further action will be taken accordingly.
"All the officers and employees of the Fire Service and Civil Defence work heart and soul for saving people. Last year, we lost 13 firefighters while on duty and 29 were injured," he lamented, saying, "I don't understand why or who would attack the fire service men.”
Eight firefighters were hurt while working for dousing the fire on Tuesday, the fire service chief said, adding that two critically injured firemen are undergoing treatment at Sheikh Hasina National Burn Institute.
According to media reports, an agitated mob attacked the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters around 9:30am. They threw brickbats and attacked the control room, leaving at least four fire service personnel injured.
Later, law enforcers brought the situation under control and removed the mob from the office.
Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said the traders at Bangabazar were repeatedly warned of the risks of running businesses there.
"The market was marked risky in 2019. But we could not prevent the traders from running business there even after serving notices several times," the Mayor said at a press conference at the City Corporation building on Tuesday.
Expressing disappointment at the traders' reluctance, the Mayor said, "We cannot do the job by force."
He also noted that a hearing on a writ regarding the traders' relocation is pending with the High Court.
Those who incurred losses in the massive fire will be relocated, the mayor said.
