Work on 10-storey Bangabazar shopping complex in progress

The construction of a 10-storey shopping complex in Bangabazar is going on in full swing, ushering in a beacon of hope for the traders who are bearing the cost of Tk 3.65 billion.

The building called 'Bangabazar Nagar Paikari Bitan', a city wholesale market, is being erected on 175.67 decimals of land, according to people familiar with the development.

The market, which is adjacent to the Police Headquarters and the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), accommodated thousands of wholesale and retail clothes shops with wooden structures.

But a massive fire broke out there in the morning of April 04 in 2023, just weeks ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, thereby leaving the traders in the lurch.

Following the fire incident that damaged an estimated Tk 3.05 billion worth of lost business, the construction of a modern shopping complex having all the amenities became imperative.

The DSCC took the initiative to establish a new facility to rehabilitate the affected traders. The foundation stone of the building was laid on 25 May 2024.

"So far, the progress in the construction of a 10-storey wholesale complex is satisfactory," Mohammad Golam Kibria, an executive engineer of DSCC Market Construction Cell, told the FE.

Mat casting of the basement floor has been completed very recently. The pillars of the basement are now getting prepared, according to him.

During a visit to the site on Saturday, the FE found that the building site was cordoned within a wall made of iron sheet.

The National Development Engineers (NDE) is the contractor of the project and Srejanee Upadeshta Ltd is the consulting firm.

According to available information, the wholesale facility will include a basement parking with shopping outlets from ground floor to eighth floor.

The entire construction is expected to be done within four years since the beginning of the work.

The size of the shops in the new mall will be 80-120 square feet (sqft), whereas it was between 17 and 24 sqft previously.

There will be 3,215 shops in the market as well as all modern amenities, including a strong fire-extinguishing system.

It will feature four blocks, five stairways, six emergency stairways along with a 250-sqft food court and separate toilet blocks.

Shop owners are now paying instalments in phases to the revenue department of the DSCC as an estimated amount of Tk 2.0 million will be required for each possession in the new building.

According to the DSCC investigation committee report, around 3,500 traders were affected in the Bangabazar inferno.

Since then, some traders have been running business in nearby malls, while some have taken shelter along streets to run their trade.

Mohammad Ali Mohon, one of the affected traders, is now running his business in Annexco Tower, to the north of the proposed building.

"We're now awaiting the building for completion," he said, adding that the wholesale market also plays a crucial role in providing affordable dress items for low- and lower-middle income families.

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