Traders at the Bangabazar Shopping Complex, one of the largest clothing retail and wholesale hubs in Bangladesh, are typically busy buying and selling products ahead of Eid-ul-Azha each year.

The apex trade body earlier promised giving the donation

When will the authorities enforce building codes and fire safety regulations?

The fire at Bangabazar on Tuesday morning not only affected shop owners at the apparel shopping complex in Dhaka’s Gulistan, but also other players in the supply chain.

A six-year-old city corporation initiative to build a 10-storey shopping mall at Bangabazar never saw the light of day because of disagreements between the shop owners and the corporation.

It is important to remember that as with most markets in Dhaka – and other major cities – the Bangabazar Shopping Complex barely had any proper fire safety measures in place.

Four years ago the Department of Fire Service and Civil Defence declared the Bangabazar Shopping Complex a fire risk.