On Tuesday a furious fire destroyed a large Dhaka market with more than 300 stores. While the flames were swallowing the market and the future of thousands of people, an earthquake frightened the rest of the country.
"I lost my store and my income, so did my brother who also had a store here", told a shopkeeper when I visited the ruins of Gulshan 1 DNCC market on Friday.
Smoke still rose from the rests of his store, it was burning hot. And certainly not safe, the building could collapse any time.
Half burnt lingerie at his store was covered with black ash and rubble. It looked sad and it felt hopeless.
All over the ruins one could see burnt shoes in heaps, blackened shampoo bottles, mountains of ashy rubbish. The floors were covered with dark grey water, the building stank of dirty smoke.
The shopkeeper was, however, confident that he would be granted a space in a shopping center that will be built on the ruins of the burnt market.
There have been many rumors that the fire was not accidental but a well planned plot to get rid of the relatively rundown market quickly and effectively.
The 5.5 magnitude earthquake, some 160 kilometers east of Dhaka, had tragicomic consequences for our household.
That day my husband attended a meeting where he had been sitting in the same position for a long time. His legs were asleep when the tremors started. Everyone had to leave the building, and my husband wrenched his ankle while stumbling out. His foot first swelled like a dough, now it's blue.
So, I have "an earthquake casualty" in the house.
Let's hope that the year will have some good surprises, too. Happier 2017 everyone.
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