BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has alleged that the government and its various organizations are responsible for the fire in Bangabazar Market.

He said, ‘We came to know through newspapers and magazines that a few days ago the city corporation there (Bangbazar Market) – it is not safe at all… with such announcements, told them to vacate there, that should be fixed. But no-bodies took interest… no one cares.’

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said these things in a press conference at BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan Political Office on Thursday afternoon. On April 4 (Tuesday), BNP organized this press conference to announce the decision of the virtual meeting of the National Standing Committee of BNP.

Regarding Bangabazar, Fakhrul said, ‘It can be called a wooden structure. Leaving it at grave risk, the government should say that all the organizations of the government, who are in charge of all these, neither they nor the city corporation have fulfilled this responsibility. We think that due to the indifference, incompetence, corruption and lack of vigilance of the concerned departments of the government, the common people have to suffer such dire consequences.

Referring to the fire incident in Siddiq Bazar, Mirza Fakhrul said, ‘In the incident that happened a few days ago in Siddiq Bazar, 21 people lost their lives. By the grace of God, no one lost their lives here (Bangabazar Market). But the amount of damage done is terrible. This has hit the low-income people or common traders badly, many have become destitute and that is before Eid, when they have invested all their capital.’

Mirza Fakhrul Islam said, ‘What is the misfortune of this country that there is so much development, the tide of development is flowing all around. However, the modern systems required for fire fighting are not here. They don’t have the equipment that the fire brigade can do after a fire. It is not the fire brigade’s fault. It is that those who run the government, those who are responsible for it, do not care about the work that is needed to serve the public.’

‘Their importance is where they have more commissions, where they will earn more money, their priority is on them. We think the entire government is responsible for this. They should resign with this responsibility.’