Online Desk: The massive fire that broke out at the Bangabazar Shopping Complex on Tuesday morning, was brought under control at 12:36pm. Most of the shops at the market have been burnt to ashes. Some traders were able to bring out their goods ignoring the fire risk. The blaze, later, spread some adjacent buildings and Enexco Tower and Banga Homeo. It was learnt that there are 2,900 shops at Bangabazar market where around 1,50,000 employees work.

There are four markets– Bangabazar Market, Mahanagar Market, Adarsha Market, and Gulistan Market– in the area. Businessmen suspect more than 12,000 shops were gutted in the fire. Md Joky, shop-owner of Rashed Beding at Enexco Tower, said there were 8,000 tin-shed shops at Bangabazar. The market was fully burnt down.

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 the increase of fire. Fire men are taking water from Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall of Dhaka University. Some other nearby hospitals also providing waters. Three helicopters are throwing waters.

Army personnel, Bangladesh Navy, BGB, Bangladesh Air Force were working to control the fire. Black smoke soon engulfed soon. Some fire men fall sick due to smoke. Lastly, 50 firefighting units managed to extinguish the blaze after more than six-hour of frantic efforts.