Dry patch after deluge

As the crisp sun emerged on Saturday (13 July), it cast a hesitant glow on a city that had just endured monsoon the day before.

Even though no longer waterlogged, the aftermath of Friday’s (12 July) torrential rain was evident in many areas of Dhaka.

Perhaps more so than other places in the beleaguered lanes of New Market.

Once vibrant with the cacophony of commerce, the alleys seem to teem with a damp desolation.

Traders, who had watched helplessly as their livelihoods were submerged, were seen trying to salvage and dry out their soaked goods.

The sun, a rare and welcome visitor, became both an ally and a witness to this day of restoration.

Beneath makeshift awnings and on sun-dappled pavements, an array of merchandise—clothes, books, electronics, shopping bags—lay spread out, glistening damply.

The traders, their faces etched with a mix of weariness and resolve, moved with methodical precision.

Here, a young man meticulously wrung out shirts, their vibrant colours dull but not defeated.

There, an elderly vendor carefully wiped down a collection of second-hand books, each page a fragile testament to resilience.

The scent of damp fabric mingled with the musty aroma of drying paper, creating an olfactory signature of endurance.

Traders conversed in hushed tones, their usual boisterous bartering replaced by the solemnity of recovery.

It was not just about goods; it was about hope and the refusal to be vanquished by nature's caprice.

A travel bag vendor whose stall was among the worst affected, described the scene with poignant simplicity: "Yesterday, we were drowning. Today, we are drying."

As the sun climbed higher, the process of drying goods continued each item a small victory against the deluge.

It was a tableau of human resilience and communal effort, an unspoken pact to rebuild and restore.

By the end of the day, the market began to reclaim its characteristic buzz. The traders, undeterred by the monumental task at hand, displayed an indefatigable spirit that turned a scene of devastation into one of quiet triumph.

They knew that while the monsoon might return, their resolve had already weathered the storm.