Tk165cr pharma raw materials lost in Dhaka airport fire
Staff Reporter:
A massive fire at the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has caused extensive damage to imported pharmaceutical raw materials belonging to 45 local drug manufacturers.
According to the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI), at least 442 types of raw materials were destroyed, with total losses estimated at Tk165 crore, excluding VAT and other duties.
The affected materials included key active ingredients, excipients, machinery parts, and equipment—all vital for uninterrupted medicine production.
BAPI data shows that Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Limited suffered the most damage, with losses amounting to Tk25 crore, followed by Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Tk15.48 crore), Renata PLC (Tk12.65 crore), Square Pharmaceuticals PLC (Tk12.59 crore), and ACMI Laboratories Ltd (Tk12 crore).
Other companies hit by the fire include Giska Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Tk8 crore), Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Tk7 crore), Opsonin Pharma Ltd (Tk7 crore), and Unimed Unihealth Pharmaceuticals Ltd (Tk4 crore).
Several others, such as Delta Pharma, Aristopharma, Popular Pharmaceuticals, Beacon Pharma, Novatek Pharma, Nuvista Pharma, and Eskayef Pharmaceuticals, also reported financial losses.
Muhammad Halimuzzaman, treasurer of BAPI and CEO of Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, termed the incident “alarming” but noted that it is unlikely to immediately disrupt production.
However, he warned that delays in importing replacement materials could impact future production schedules.
Halimuzzaman further stressed that pharmaceutical raw materials are extremely sensitive to heat and humidity, urging authorities to expedite customs clearance and strengthen warehouse safety measures at airport cargo facilities to prevent similar incidents in the future.