Smoke was still billowing from the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, 20 hours after a devastating fire broke out. As of Sunday morning, fire service personnel were still working at the site, alongside members of law enforcement agencies.
The fire started around 2:15 PM on Saturday in the courier warehouse of the airport’s import complex and soon spread throughout the area. Flight operations were suspended for several hours and resumed partially around 9 PM. Fire service officials said the flames had been contained, but smoke continued to rise.
Traders have expressed concerns about massive financial losses. Moniruzzaman, an employee of a C&F agent company near the scene, told bdnews24.com, “Many traders have suffered heavy losses. Imported goods have been completely burned. We are deeply worried.”
The suspension of flights caused severe disruption for passengers, as several Dhaka-bound flights were diverted to Sylhet and Chattogram. Passenger Mahmudul Islam, traveling on a US-Bangla Airlines flight from Chattogram to Dhaka, said, “I missed a family event in Dhaka because of the incident. Hundreds of passengers faced similar troubles at Shah Amanat Airport.”
The Internal Resources Division and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism have formed separate investigation committees to determine the cause and assess the extent of the damage.
Sheikh Bashir Uddin, Adviser to the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, visited the site on Saturday night to oversee the situation.
The Chief Adviser’s Office stated that if any credible evidence of sabotage or arson is found, the government will take immediate and strict action. The statement also emphasized, “No criminal activities or provocations will be allowed to disrupt public life or the political process.