Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
At least 25 members of Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) were injured while battling a massive fire that broke out in the cargo area of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) on Saturday afternoon (October 18).
Md Golam Mowla Tuhin, commander of Ansar (North Zone), said, “So far, 25 Ansar members have been injured while on duty. They were immediately taken to Combined Military Hospital and Kurmitola General Hospital for treatment.” He added that the members had noticed the fire early, alerted the authorities, and tried to contain it despite the risks. Md Ashiquzzaman, deputy director and public relations officer of Ansar and VDP, said nearly 1,000 Ansar personnel deployed for airport security took part in the rescue and firefighting operations.
Brigadier General Md Saidur Rahman, director of Dhaka Kurmitola General Hospital, informed, “Eight patients have been brought to our hospital following the fire incident. None suffered burn injuries. They sustained minor injuries due to excessive heat or while rushing around. All are stable.”
The fire, which started around 2:30 pm, was brought under control after several hours by 37 firefighting units, assisted by the army and air force. The Ansar and VDP authority said it is closely monitoring the situation and ensuring proper medical support for the injured personnel.