Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayor Anisul Huq backtracked from his earlier statement that the devastating fire which had broken out in Gulshan-1 DNCC market was an accident. “It was a mistake to describe the fire as an accident before any investigation,” he said during a press conference at his office two days after the incident. Huq said a probe would reveal the reason behind the fire and they would take measures accordingly. Shop owners from the very beginning were claiming that the fire was an act of sabotage, but the mayor had dismissed such claims saying that it might be owing to an electrical fault. On-duty security guards, however, maintained that the fire originated from the explosion of a transformer adjacent to the markets. Lt Col Md Mosharraf Hossain, head of a seven-member  committee tasked with tracing the cause of the fire, said they were yet to ascertain the cause. The investigation would cover all possible angles, including that of sabotage, he added. He also said they had also spoken to shop owners to find out the extent of the total loss.
Another seven-member team, led by DNCC Kancha Market Traders' Association chairperson Sher Muhammed, yesterday met the DNCC mayor at his office and demanded immediate rehabilitation and compensation. During the meeting, the mayor withdrew his earlier statement and assured them that he would do everything in his power to rehabilitate and compensate the affected shop owners.
Sher Muhammed said the traders would begin their business in the open space at the market from today (Friday).