Staff Reporter:
Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh on Wednesday announced a Tk 2 crore assistance aiming to rehabilitate the businessmen affected by a devastating fire at Bangabazar last week.
Taposh made the announcement during the resumption of business operations by the affected traders fol-lowing the installation of temporary benches at Bangabazar on Wednesday.
In addition to supporting this rehabilitation, Taposh said, “We will provide financial aid.”
In the corporation’s meeting held on Tuesday, it was resolved that the corporation would contribute Tk 2 crore from its own resources to the fund formed for the rehabilitation of the affected businessmen.
“On Sunday, I talked with all the concerned leaders, including the traders and shop owners association. Our primary objective was to ensure that our small businessmen can resume operations before Eid.”
“By the grace of Allah and with the assistance of all the concerned officers and employees of the corpo-ration, business leaders and small businessmen were able to commence their business activities this morning,” he said.
A fire broke out at Bangabazar Shopping Complex in Dhaka last week, burning several thousand shops, mainly ready-made garment and footwear stores, to ashes. The blaze made thousands of traders destitute ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
According to a probe by Dhaka South City Corporation, goods worth about Tk 288.350 crore were burnt by the fire affecting 3,845 traders.
Besides, about Tk 14.70 crore was lost considering the structural damage, according to the DSCC report.
