Govt will try best to help fire-affected Krishi Market traders recover: Agriculture Minister

Agriculture Minister and Awami League Presidium Member Abdur Razzaque said the government will try its best to help the Mohammadpur Krishi Market traders affected by yesterday's massive fire.

"The prime minister is aware of the fire incident. We will do our best to help the traders turn around," he said while visiting the fire-gutted Krishi Market in Dhaka's Mohammadpur on Friday (15 September).

"Most of them are from middle-class or lower-middle-class families. This market was built right in front of our eyes. Such a huge loss will wipe out at least 500-600 families," he added.

"We will do everything we can to help them bounce back economically," Abdur Razzaque said, adding arrangements will be made so that traders can take bank loans in accordance with the rules and regulations.

"The government will cooperate as much as possible by engaging them in various economic activities," he said.

Earlier on Thursday (14 September), a massive fire broke out at the Mohammadpur Krishi Market in Dhaka at around 3:40am.

It took the combined efforts of 17 Fire Service units, working in conjunction with personnel from RAB and BGB, approximately six hours to bring the flames under control by around 9:25am.

Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Selim Raza said at least 217 shops burned down in the devastating fire.

"We allocated space for 317 shops in the market, and the fire damaged 217 among those," he said while talking to reporters.