Kathmandu, September 21
The Tangal branch of Bhatbhateni Supermarket, which suffered serious physical damage from arson during last year’s Gen Z movement, reopened today.
With repairs and reconstruction complete, the store formally opened to customers at 10 am on Monday.
Bhatbhateni Chairman and Managing Director Min Bahadur Gurung inaugurated the store himself.
According to Gurung, 12 stores across the country were damaged during the movement. Ten of them, including Tangal, have been repaired and are back in operation. The Damak and Hetauda branches are in the final phase of reconstruction and are preparing to open soon.
‘We rose by risking our lives’
Gurung said he felt deep pain watching assets worth billions burn before his own eyes, but took it as a challenge and moved forward.
Saying it is as hard to build anew as it is easy to destroy, he added that the reconstruction had also seriously affected his health.
“I have tried to rebuild this by putting my life on the line. My haemoglobin had dropped to 4; it has improved now,” Gurung said. “We Nepalis are courageous, and we are Gorkhalis on top of that. The courage of Gorkhalis is different. So we made one resolve: we will rise again from the ashes.”
Gurung said Bhatbhateni is not just his personal property but the “nation’s property”.
“This is not only my property, but it is also Nepal’s property. Thousands of Nepalis are employed here,” he said. “We pay 30 percent of the money from our revenue. Nobody would set fire to their own property!”
Recalling that he started the business 42 years ago from a rented room of 120 square feet, with just Rs 35,000 raised by selling his wife’s jewellery, he said his blood and sweat had gone into it.
‘This is where we work, and where we die’
Gurung said he is very hopeful that Nepal can become a developed country within 15 years if it gets honest leadership. He urged those disheartened by the lack of a business-friendly environment not to panic and to keep at their work.
“Why panic? This is where we work, this is where we die. The private sector plays a big role in the country’s development,” he said. “May such an incident never happen again in my country. The government must protect the private sector and the nation’s property.”
He extended special thanks to the engineers and staff who worked around the clock on the reconstruction, partner organisations, the media, and all well-wishers at home and abroad who offered encouragement.
The company has committed that customers will continue to receive modern and quality service.
Happy customers
A significant crowd of shoppers had gathered since Monday morning. Customers who had been left disappointed by the long closure of their regular shopping destination appeared very excited at the reopening.
Bishnu Bhandari, a regular customer who lives in Mulpani and works in Tangal, said she came to Bhatbhateni as soon as she learnt the store had opened.
She said the arson had left them very sad.
“Without this store, it had become very difficult for us to buy things. We were fed up running to one place for one item and another for the next,” she told Onlinekhabar. “I feel very happy today that it has opened.”
Bhandari, who had not expected the store to reopen so soon, congratulated the operator and all the staff for recovering quickly. She said she expects lower prices than outside, offers, and quality goods that have not passed their expiry date.
Govinda Regmi, another regular customer since Bhatbhateni began, described it as a proud “shopping complex” that has introduced Nepal to the world.
He said that rising from the ashes so quickly and returning in a new form sends the message that anything can be achieved if people have courage.
“Bouncing back in such a short time even in such circumstances is exemplary and a matter of pride,” Regmi said, praising Gurung’s courage. “It is a good example that if people have courage, they can do anything in a short time.”
Photos: Kamal Prasai
