Airport fire exposes accountability gap with regulator acting as operator
CAAB currently performs a dual function, acting both as the airport operator and the aviation regulator — a structure experts describe as “highly unusual” globally and inherently prone to conflicts of interest
Highlights:
- Dual CAAB roles create conflicts and weaken aviation oversight accountability
- Government probe urges independent operator to replace CAAB's operational role
- Fire caused by short circuit amid severe safety and management failures
- CAAB failed to enforce building standards, fire safety and cargo oversight
- Experts note global norm: separate airport operators from aviation regulators
- Probe demands reforms and accountability after repeated airport safety lapses
As the latest government probe exposes failures across all agencies—including the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB)—in the 18 October fire that devastated Dhaka Airport's cargo village, aviation experts are asking a fundamental question: who holds the regulator accountable when the regulator is also the operator?
CAAB currently performs a dual function, acting both as the airport operator and the aviation regulator — a structure experts describe as "highly unusual" globally and inherently prone to conflicts of interest.
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The home secretary-led investigation report, released on 25 November, underscored the risks of this arrangement. One of its central recommendations is to appoint a qualified, independent operator to manage airport activities now overseen by CAAB.
The probe also pointed to failures by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, courier companies and the Dhaka Custom House. The fire originated from an "electrical short circuit" in one of the co-located cages used by DHL, RS and SRK at the northwestern corner of the courier shed's extended section.
Air Vice Marshal (retd) Mahmud Hussain, former CAAB chairman, told TBS that no regulator should also be responsible for operations. "The agency that operates the airport cannot simultaneously perform monitoring and audit functions. According to ICAO standards, the regulator must be independent, competent and fully empowered," he said.
"Airport operations require specialised expertise. Internationally experienced operators could be appointed, or the government could form a separate 'Bangladesh Airport Authority', leaving CAAB solely as the regulator," added Hussain, now a faculty member at the Aviation and Aerospace University, Bangladesh.
He warned that when regulatory powers—including audits or licence cancellations—depend on ministerial approval, accountability is weakened. "If the regulator itself is responsible, who takes action?"
Long record of safety lapses
The 18 October blaze tore through the import cargo village's courier shed, destroying goods and causing major business losses.
The building, constructed by CAAB in 1982–83, includes 12,455 sq ft of indoor space and a 9,150 sq ft tin shed, the latter built without approval by the courier companies' association (IAEAB). A Biman internal report found that this shed lacked basic fire safety measures.
Though the Dhaka Customs Agents Association initially suspected a pre-planned incident, the government probe later concluded there was no sabotage.
The investigation found widespread mismanagement: no effective supervision of import cargo, no protection for dangerous goods, no dedicated fire station for airport structures, and violations of the Bangladesh National Building Code. Around 400 tonnes of goods were routinely left on the apron, obstructing access to the shed.
CAAB, as the lessor of the courier and cargo facilities, failed to ensure structural integrity and fire safety under Building Construction Rules 2020. The section where the fire began lacked any approved design.
Aviation analyst and former Biman board member Kazi Wahidul Alam told TBS: "If CAAB had fulfilled its responsibilities, this incident would not have occurred. When the regulator is also the operator, who holds it to account?"
He noted that the US Federal Aviation Administration had previously cited CAAB's dual role as a key reason for raising objections to Bangladesh's attempts to resume New York flights.
How other countries run airports
Air Vice Marshal Mahmud Hussain said many countries maintain strict separation between airport operators and regulators to ensure transparency and safety. Wahidul added that Dubai, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur all have independent airport authorities, while regulation is carried out by separate agencies.
"In Bangladesh, CAAB holds all powers—regulation, operations, licensing, management. When the guardian becomes the operator, it becomes the violator. There is no room for punishment," he said.
Asked how CAAB could be held accountable under its current structure, Hussain said only the Civil Aviation Ministry has the authority to do so. He added that while the need for separation has long been discussed within the sector, no formal steps have been taken.
Calls for punishment and reform
The report notes seven major airport fires since 2011. It also revealed that an MoU between CAAB and the Fire Service and Civil Defence has remained unsigned for nine years. Recommendations to relocate the dangerous goods godown, issued in 2021 by the Bangladesh National Authority for the Chemical Weapons Convention, were also ignored.
Biman, a CAAB lessee, failed to ensure fire protection for its facilities. The probe recommends restricting Biman to flight operations only, with ground handling to be managed by a competent operator appointed by CAAB. Courier companies, also CAAB lessees, similarly failed to ensure safety measures.
"Those responsible must be held to account," Kazi Wahidul Alam said. "We have had fires in both the passenger and cargo terminals, yet no one has ever been punished. The recommendations must not remain on paper."
The probe warns that without corrective action, similar incidents are likely to recur due to "overall mismanagement" and limited firefighting capacity.
CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmood Siddiq said the authority would review the report and respond if necessary. The Civil Aviation Ministry's adviser, Sk Bashir Uddin, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
IAEAB President Kabir Ahmed rejected the findings against courier companies, arguing that CAAB—not the association—was responsible for warehouse oversight. He said IAEAB had previously warned CAAB about poor maintenance and electrical hazards after responsibility for warehouse management was taken away in 2023.
Biman spokesperson Bushra Islam said the carrier had reviewed the report but declined to comment on whether it bore any responsibility.
What an effective regulator requires
Industry insiders say adequate manpower, financial autonomy and audit capacity aligned with international standards are essential if CAAB is to function as an effective regulator. CAAB currently lacks sufficient staff for regular inspections and safety audits.
"When the required personnel aren't available, monitoring doesn't happen," Former CAAB chairman Mahmud Hussain said. "We still haven't developed the capacity required to meet international standards."
Customs disputes blame over auction delays
The report found that about 75% of goods destroyed in the courier shed fire were eligible for auction, and could have been moved earlier had Dhaka Customs House acted more swiftly.
A senior Customs official disputed this conclusion. He said many auction-eligible items found in courier parcels are unsellable due to limited demand, leading to inevitable accumulation. Both auctioning and destruction require procedural approvals, he said, so rapid clearance is not always practical.
