breaking news
  • PM Modi checks on Sonia Gandhi during brief conversation in Parliament
  • On camera: Congress leader's son assaults student in Punjab, state chief lauds act
  • Who is George Soros and what is his link to Adani Group's troubles?
  • After Aerial Drones, Seaborne Drug Trafficking By Narco Subs: The New Challenge Ahead
  • Manipur is on the Edge: Here's How It can be Stabilised
  • 'The devil has been in our way': GOP lawmaker accuses Biden admin of covering up UFOs

View Details

The South Asian Insider

Fire races through clothing market in Bangladesh capital



Firefighters were working to get under control a massive fire that burned through a popular clothing market and spread to other small markets and buildings in Bangladesh’s capital Tuesday. No casualties have been reported so far. The fire started at Bangabazar Market in Dhaka at 6:10 a.m. and firefighters from 47 units were working to douse the blaze, fire service official Rafi Al Faruk told The Associated Press by phone. It continued to rage six hours after it began. Anwarul Islam, another fire service official, said they didn’t know how the fire originated. Many shop owners in Bangabazar Market burst into tears; they had been hoping for good business ahead of Islam’s largest festival Eid-al Fitr later this month. “I have two shops here. Everything is gone,” said Mohammed Mohsin as he sobbed. “All my capital has been invested here. Why does God punish me this way?”Many merchants tried to save some of their belongings but failed as the fire spread quickly. Fires are common in commercial places in Bangladesh because of lax monitoring and lack of fire safety arrangements. But the country’s garment industry, which has had devastating fires in the past, has improved significantly over the last decade.