Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Massive fire broke out at the cargo terminal of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday afternoon, forcing authorities to suspend all flight operations and divert several inbound aircraft.
The blaze erupted around 2:15pm in the Cargo Village area, which stores imported goods. According to Fire Service and Civil Defence officials, 36 firefighting units, including those from the Bangladesh Air Force and Navy, were deployed to control the inferno. Two platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) also joined the rescue operation.
“The fire’s severity is high. Sixteen units were working initially, with 16 more on the way,” said Fire Service officer Talha bin Jasim. The airport’s Executive Director, Group Captain SM Raqib Samad, appealed for public and media cooperation in an audio message, saying, “Our fire service personnel and Air Force units are actively working. Please don’t divert our attention by repeatedly calling us.”
By 5:00 pm, the fire was nearly under control, confirmed Flight Lt Masud, spokesperson for the airport. However, thick smoke continued to billow from parts of the Cargo Village. At least five international flights, including two by US-Bangla Airlines and two by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, were diverted to Chattogram, while a Riyadh-Dhaka Biman flight with 396 passengers was rerouted to Sylhet. An Indigo flight from Delhi was diverted to Kolkata. “All our aircraft are confirmed safe. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops,” said an HSIA spokesperson.
Officials said flight operations at Dhaka airport would remain suspended until 9:00 pm, with outbound passengers waiting at terminals. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) confirmed that “concerted efforts have brought the fire largely under control.”
The cause of the blaze remains unknown. The fire spread rapidly after reaching a section storing chemicals, engulfing much of the cargo complex.
This marks the third major fire in Bangladesh in four days, following similar incidents in Dhaka’s Mirpur and at a factory in Chattogram’s Export Processing Zone earlier this week.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Italy has offered Bangladesh technical assistance to improve fire investigation and prevention capabilities. The offer came during a bilateral meeting in Rome between Bangladesh Home and Agriculture Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.
Italy also pledged cooperation in curbing human trafficking, money laundering, and irregular migration. Both sides agreed to strengthen intelligence sharing, establish a joint task force on trafficking, and sign a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) and an extradition agreement to combat financial crimes.