Shawdesh desk:

The massive fire that broke out at Bangabazar Market in Bangladesh capital on Tuesday morning, was brought under control at about 12:35pm.

Fire Service and Civil Defence director general Brigadier Md Main Uddin said that eight fire fighters got injured while trying to bring the fire under control. Of them, two were in a critical condition and all of them were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and other nearby hospitals, he said.

While talking to reporters, Main Uddin said that it took more than six hours to bring the fire under control due to wind, water scarcity and crowd.

‘Bangabazar Market was announced risky in April, 2019 and business owners were repeatedly asked to move their businesses to somewhere else. But the business owners did not pay any heed to the notices served by the authorities concerned,’ the Fire Service and Civil Defence chief said.

Meanwhile, some agitated business owners attacked the fire service office and vandalised at least ten vehicles, witnesses said.

No civilian casualty was reported so far.

48 units of the Fire Service were working at the spot to put out the fire.

Fire Service headquarters deputy assistant director Shahjahn Sikder said that the fire was reported at Bangabazar Market at about 6:10am and the 1st firefighting unit reached the spot at about 6:12am.

The cause of the fire and the extent of damage could not be known immediately, he said.

A joint support team of the Bangladesh Army and the Bangladesh Air Force and a helicopter are working to control the fire in the capital’s Bangabazar, said Inter-Services Public Relations.

A team of the Bangladesh Navy also joined in to bring the Bangabazar Market fire under control.

The fire service personnel evacuated people from the buildings of the surrounding areas.

A number of businessmen of Bangabazar were seen at the spot. Many were seen crying and assisting the firefighters.