, July 12 -- Torrential rain that lashed the capital since early Monday inundated major commercial hubs including New Market, Fakirapool and Motijheel, forcing traders to scramble to save their goods as knee-deep water flooded shops and brought business to a standstill.

Instead of serving customers, shop owners and employees spent the morning trying to salvage goods from rising floodwaters.

Knee-deep water flooded market corridors, forcing many businesses to keep their shutters closed and bringing commercial activities to a near standstill.

The situation was particularly severe for footpath vendors and businesses operating from low-lying temporary structures, which were quickly submerged as the city's drainage system struggled to cope ...