Bongobazar: Three years after the fire, Dhaka's once-fashion hub remains scattered
Once famous for export-surplus clothes, foreign shoppers and affordable fashion, Bongobazar was devastated by a massive fire in 2023. Its traders are now scattered across Dhaka, waiting for a new market to bring them together again
A large signboard stands beside the road. Behind it, construction work is underway across a vast area. The structure has already risen to the height of a three-storey building. In some places, workers are tying steel rods; in others, they are carrying bricks and sand. A huge pile of sand lies on one side of the road.
But none of this slows the rush. People keep moving, each in their own way. Bus horns, the noise of autorickshaws, the calls of hawkers, product advertisements blaring from loudspeakers and pedestrians hurrying past—all seem to move together.
Still, a glance around reveals almost every familiar scene of the busy Gulistan–Fulbaria intersection. Trousers, T-shirts and shirts hang in rows outside the shops. Some vendors have displayed clothes on vans along the footpath. Buyers and sellers bargain over prices. Some people are buying goods, while others rush from one place to another carrying loads on their shoulders. Above all, there is always the fear of having one's mobile phone or wallet stolen.
A market disappeared
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Amid all this, Bongobazar itself is missing. Its familiar red signboard and rows of tin-roofed shops are gone. Once crowded with thousands of customers, the area now has only a few former traders selling from the footpath.
Most traders moved to nearby shopping centres, Mirpur or New Market. Some turned to online business, while others left the trade altogether. Bongobazar, which once spread across 21,250 square feet, now seems to have disappeared from its own site. Although thousands found space in nearby markets, the old relationships between buyers and sellers have been lost. Customers now struggle to locate the traders they once knew.
Mohammad Mamun traded at Bongobazar for 30 years before his shop was reduced to ashes in the 2023 fire. Unable to raise enough capital to restart his business, even after borrowing money, he now works at his brother's shop.
"Nothing is the same after the market burned down. Everyone has gone in different directions. Some lost everything and were left with nothing," he said.
Mamun has seen both sides of Bongobazar's story: some traders expanded their businesses and moved to larger markets, while others lost everything.
When foreigners came to shop
Bongobazar was once more than a shopping destination for Dhaka residents. It was also well known among foreign buyers. Abdul Malek, whose jeans shop was destroyed in the fire on 4 April 2023, remembers customers from many countries visiting the market, often with interpreters.
"Nigerians, Sudanese and many other Africans bought export-quality clothes in bulk. They picked out the best items. A pair of trousers that we sold for Tk200 could be sold to them for Tk300 or Tk400," Malek said.
Interpreters brought foreign customers to shops, negotiated prices and helped them find products in return for a commission. Many spoke several languages, including Arabic, Persian, French, English, Russian and Hindi.
Bongobazar's reputation and its proximity to major hotels attracted buyers from across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. According to Mamun, the market sometimes received around 150 foreign customers a day. They included tourists, cabin crew, athletes and businesspeople. Some bought clothes for themselves, while others purchased goods in bulk to resell at home.
"They could buy something here for Tk500 and sell it in their own country for Tk5,000," Mamun said.
The foreign crowds also encouraged restaurants such as One Star and Pankouri to open nearby. Many customers visited Kasturi, now Kasturi Kitchen, after finishing their shopping.
Why export-surplus clothes drew crowds
A major reason for Bongobazar's popularity was its 'export surplus'—garments made for international buyers but not sent abroad because of excess production, cancelled orders or minor defects.
Mohammad Sajib, who has traded in the market since 2000, said these products attracted customers because they offered good quality at low prices.
"There might be a small stain, a loose thread or a minor design problem. We bought those products cheaply, but the fabric, stitching and overall quality were good, so demand was huge," he said.
Students and middle-aged shoppers came to Bongobazar looking for bargains. Shirts once cost Tk70–80 and trousers Tk120–150. Even 10 to 15 years ago, export-quality jeans were available for Tk200–250.
Mehedi Hasan often visited the market as a university student. "Spending Tk500 felt like a lot at the time. I could come here and buy trousers for Tk200 after bargaining," he said. Similar products now cost Tk400–500, but Mehedi is more disappointed that the old shops are no longer together.
New customers still come looking for bargains. Friends Rakib and Abdur Rahman visited after hearing that 'original' football club jerseys were cheaper there. "Now we are going from shop to shop looking for them," Abdur Rahman said.
It was also a major fashion hub for young people. Bongobazar was not only a centre of business but also a major fashion destination. The clothes worn by Michael Jackson, Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Arnold Schwarzenegger inspired new fashion trends among the youth, and Bongobazar met much of that demand.
Young shoppers would spend hours walking through the narrow lanes, sweating in the heat but never growing tired. They knew that if they could not find what they were looking for in one shop, they would find it in another. From old styles to the latest designs, everything was available in this one market.
Nothing is the same after the market burned down. Everyone has gone in different directions. Some lost everything and were left with nothing.
From railway station to shopping hub
Bongobazar did not begin as a clothing market. Its story goes back to the mid-1960s, when a temporary market began to develop around Fulbaria railway station in Dhaka. Hawkers sold snacks, drinks, decorative items and various everyday goods. The constant flow of passengers made it an ideal place for them to do business.
Even after Fulbaria station was moved, the area remained just as important. As it stood at the junction of several major roads, traders stayed on. Many built temporary tin-roofed structures and set up permanent shops. Whether legal or illegal, the number of these makeshift shops gradually increased. Over time, the market also became a popular destination for customers.
In 1975, Dhaka Municipality took steps to remove the temporary structures and build a permanent market. At the time, there were disputes between the municipality and the railway authorities over ownership of the land. Later, traders were allowed to operate shops under lease agreements.
The City Corporation gained ownership of the land in 1985. This eventually paved the way for the construction of a planned shopping centre.
A permanent market was built in the late 1980s. By the 1990s, Bongobazar had become one of the most important trading centres for ready-made garments. Several nearby markets also became part of the wider business hub.
Where are Bongobazar's traders now?
Mamun recalled that Bongobazar was once so crowded during Ramadan, Eid and winter that there was hardly any space to walk. Traders could sell goods worth around Tk150,000 in a single day. Today, those crowds—and most foreign buyers—are gone.
"There is no market now. A few people come looking for familiar shops, but many leave because they cannot find them," Abdul Malek said.
Nurjahan Market, near New Market, has emerged as an alternative, particularly among young shoppers. Shakil Hossain, who once shopped regularly at Bongobazar, said, "Everything is now available at Nurjahan Market, so why would I travel so far?"
Known for Western-style clothing, Nurjahan Market also attracts foreign visitors and wholesale buyers. As at Bongobazar, interpreters help them negotiate with local traders.
Sentu has sold garments there for around 15 years. He previously worked as an interpreter at Bongobazar, where his ability to speak five languages helped him earn enough to open his own shop.
"What I once saw at Bongobazar now happens here. Foreigners still want Bangladeshi export garments. Only the location has changed," he said.
Nurjahan Market's growth began in the mid-1990s, when some traders moved there after Bongobazar's first fire in 1995. Export items and locally made 'fresh orders' gradually became widely available, attracting customers with good products at low prices. Today, around 560 shops operate on the first three floors of the four-storey building.
A costly wait for a new beginning
The 2023 fire hit small traders hardest. While shops at Bongobazar once rented for Tk5,000–15,000, rents in other markets reached Tk20,000–60,000. Unable to afford them, some traders turned to Facebook pages, online orders and home delivery.
"Being scattered like this after the fire has been a major loss for us," Sajib said.
Dhaka South City Corporation is now constructing the 10-storey 'Bongobazar Wholesale City Shopping Complex' on 1.79 acres of land. It will contain 3,042 shops, each measuring 80–100 square feet, and eight lifts, including four cargo lifts.
So far, 2,961 fire-affected traders have received shop allocations. But many who lost their capital and borrowed money to restart their businesses are worried about future rents. They also said they faced extortion and other harassment while paying allocation fees in installments.
Members of the owners' association showed no interest in commenting on these concerns. When contacted, its president, Mozammel Haque Maju, declined to identify himself and said, "Mr Maju has not arrived yet."
Despite the uncertainty, many traders hope to restart their businesses once the new complex is complete.
