The country's Hijra community on Sunday (9 April) donated Tk20 lakh in cash to the fire-affected Bangabazar traders.

"We have been collecting money from the traders in Bangabazar for the past 30-40 years," said Bangladesh Hijra Development Organisation President Kashmiri Dipali.

"Today, amid such a difficult time, we stand beside our brothers instead of spending money for Eid shopping. We have collected Tk20 lakh from across the country. If the traders survive, we will be able to live too," Kashmiri Dipali added.

About a hundred hijras gathered on site and made the donation with the aim to help the traders get back on their feet.

Earlier on 4 April, a massive fire broke out at the Bangabazar Market in Dhaka and spread to some other nearby markets, burning over 5,000 shops, with mainly readymade clothes and footwear, to ashes.

BDST: 1712 HRS, APRIL 09, 2023
MSK/SMS