‘HSIA cargo village has no proper fire detection, protection systems’
Staff Reporter :
Firefighters have completely extinguished the devastating fire that broke out at the import cargo complex of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka after more than 26 hours of operations.
The blaze, which triggered widespread damage to imported goods, disrupted airport cargo operations, and raised serious questions about fire safety and disaster preparedness, has now become the focus of multiple investigations and national concern.
Authorities confirmed structural damage to the cargo facility while business leaders claimed losses worth thousands of crores of taka, warning of a potential image crisis for Bangladesh in the global market.
Allegations of negligence, delayed response, and lack of fire safety systems have intensified the debate over accountability.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence said on Sunday that the fire was fully brought under control at 4:55 pm. In a briefing in front of Gate 8 of the airport, Fire Service Director for Operations and Maintenance Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury confirmed that the
blaze had been extinguished.
He said the fire continued for more than a day because the building did not have adequate fire control and warning systems.
“The storehouse area was narrow and contained flammable materials, which made it extremely difficult to fight the fire effectively,” he said.
He added that parts of the building had become structurally vulnerable due to prolonged high temperatures.
Two firefighters were injured during the operation, although their condition is not critical.
Six units of the Fire Service will remain on site for the next several hours to monitor smoke and prevent any further flare-ups.
Tajul Islam said fire crews will maintain a presence at the scene until they are confident that all risks have been eliminated.
Among the cargo destroyed were high-value imports, including sensitive electrical equipment brought from Russia for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
Mamata Trading Company, the C&F agent responsible for unloading the shipment, said nearly 18 tonnes of electrical components arrived six days earlier and unloading was scheduled for Sunday after receiving clearance from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.
Customs official Biplob Hossain of the company said the delay in receiving necessary clearance left the goods stored inside the cargo building, where they were destroyed by the fire before unloading could begin.
Cargo Parking In-charge and Senior Executive Manager of Ahona Courier Service, Momin Mojumdar, said the fire burned for an hour and a half before effective action was taken.
He claimed that two large Fire Service units arrived early but were unable to act quickly due to permission delays and operational barriers.
He suggested that the fire could have been contained earlier had there been an immediate intervention.
Mojumdar claimed personal losses worth around 4 crore taka, including chemical supplies, courier materials, computer hardware, hotel and restaurant assets.
Rokn Mia, a C&F agent, said massive amounts of goods arrive daily through the cargo village and that the fire has caused huge business disruption.
Workers on site believe the fire started in a warehouse used to store dangerous goods, including explosive chemicals. Import section employee Sohel Mia said explosions from hazardous materials accelerated the spread of the fire.
Visiting the site, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Senior Vice-President Inamul Haque Khan Bablu said export operations remained operational, but the damage to imported raw materials was severe.
He said thousands of ready garments, fabrics, labels and accessories had been reduced to ashes.
He added that the loss could reach one billion dollars and urged the government to introduce an alternative shipment system immediately to keep trade uninterrupted.
BGMEA officials said that a large number of high-value garment samples were also destroyed in the fire.
These samples are used to secure new orders from foreign buyers and losing them means potential loss of future business opportunities.
The organisation has opened an online data collection portal to gather inventories of damaged goods from member factories.
Mohammad Hatem, President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), has directly alleged negligence by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.
Speaking to reporters, he questioned why the cargo village did not have an independent fire safety system.
He warned that the fire would hurt Bangladesh’s reputation abroad and damage investor confidence.
He said such fires at key point installations like airports and ports could put national security at risk.
Hatem also questioned whether there was any link between recent fire incidents in factories and this one.
Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Ministry Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin said all imported goods stored at the cargo village were destroyed.
He said the ministry had begun collecting information about the losses and a committee had been formed to investigate the incident.
He confirmed that 21 flights had been cancelled due to the fire, but the government had waived all extra charges for additional flights over the next three days to help affected passengers and businesses.
Meanwhile, the government has formed a core committee led by the Home Secretary to investigate the cause of the fire and determine responsibility.
Disaster Management Adviser Faruk-i-Azam said the committee would submit its report by 5 November.
He admitted there were gaps in fire preparedness and that the Fire Service’s response had been delayed due to inadequate systems inside the cargo facility.
To keep cargo movement running, the Civil Aviation Authority has set up a temporary storage area at the Ground Support Equipment maintenance yard, and customs clearance has already started at Gate No. 9 using ASYCUDA World connectivity.
Authorities say they are working round the clock to prevent congestion and economic disruption.