Probe finds short circuit behind Dhaka airport fire, not sabotage; lapses across Caab, Biman, courier, customs surfaces
About 75% of total goods that burned were auctionable and had been piling up in the main cargo space for years, probe says
An electrical short circuit, not sabotage, caused the fire that tore through the cargo village at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport last month, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said today, citing the findings of an investigation report submitted to the chief adviser.
Electrical arcing, followed by a short circuit in one of the co-located cages used by DHL, RS and SRK on the northwestern side of the extended courier shed, triggered the blaze, according to the findings of the report shared by the press wing.
The cause was also confirmed by assessments from Turkish specialists, Buet engineers, fire experts and CID forensic teams.
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Major findings in the report state that there is no effective management and supervision of the import cargo area; no emphasis on safeguarding flammable, combustible and dangerous goods; and no standing fire station for the structures of civil aviation properties.
Investigators also noted that the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) had been ignored.
They further pointed out that emergency response was impeded as access to the courier shed was highly obstructed by goods placed on the apron (the area where aircraft are parked, loaded, unloaded, and refueled in an airport. Approximately 400 tonnes of goods are left on the apron each day).
According to the probe, responsibility for the failures is shared across multiple agencies, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab), state-run carrier Biman, private courier companies and Dhaka Customs House.
Briefing reporters at the Foreign Service Academy, Shafiqul Alam said the courier shed had 48 small iron-cage offices assigned to various courier agencies. "The offices lacked fire alarms, smoke detectors and sprinklers," he said. "As you know, sprinklers spray water. There were no fire hydrants either."
He added that investigators found flammable items stored in violation of safety rules, including cloth rolls wrapped in polythene, chemicals, compressed perfume bottles, electronic goods, batteries and raw materials for pharmaceutical products.
Earlier in the day, Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Faruk-e-Azam handed the report to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
The investigation committee, led by the home ministry secretary, incorporated findings from Fire Service and Civil Defence, CID Forensic, Armed Forces Division, NSI, the explosives department, Desco, CTTC, Buet, the civil aviation ministry, Caab, Biman and Customs.
The inquiry examined whether the cause involved explosives, arson, electrical faults, chemicals, gunpowder or human factors, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Azad Majumder told TBS.
A blaze that exposed deep-rooted risks
The 18 October fire caused heavy losses to businesses, taking nearly seven hours to bring under control with help from the army, navy and air force. The incident heightened concerns over safety at the country's busiest aviation hub.
According to the probe report, since 2011, seven major fires have occurred at airports in the country. The report notes that a proposed MoU between Caab and Fire Service has remained unsigned for nine years.
Recommendations from the Bangladesh National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention to relocate dangerous goods storage, issued in 2021, were also ignored.
Around 75% of stored goods that burned were auctionable items that had remained piled up for years, worsening both congestion and fire risks, the report stated.
Following the blaze, discussions on relocating the cargo village have restarted.
A member of the inquiry panel said relocation may be recommended, though customs officials warn that non-compliant courier companies could exploit weak oversight at a new site.
Agencies held accountable
The report states that Caab failed to ensure the safety of client property. As Caab's lessee, Biman did not secure protective services from the authority and did not provide such services itself. Courier companies, also lessees, similarly failed to meet safety obligations.
Dhaka Customs House was found responsible for delays in clearing auctionable goods, allowing them to accumulate dangerously inside the main cargo area.
Firefighters faced extreme conditions
According to the investigation report, firefighters encountered an intense, fully developed blaze with temperatures exceeding 1,500°C.
Firefighters struggled to reach the site because of cargo stacked on the apron, locked iron grills and a lack of hydrants. Unidentified chemicals, limited water and foam supplies, and collapsing structures further complicated efforts and posed serious risks to responders.
Key recommendations
The report outlined several urgent recommendations to prevent similar incidents and strengthen safety standards at Dhaka airport's cargo village.
Their recommendations include: appointment of a qualified operator to manage airport maintenance and operations under Caab; strict enforcement of ICAO and BNBC standards in one of the airport's most critical operational zones; limiting Biman's role to flight operations only, with ground handling to be managed by a competent Caab-appointed operator; immediate establishment of a modern fire station at the airport by Fire Service and Civil Defence; relocation of dangerous goods and chemical storage in line with local and international regulations; creation of a separate customs warehouse for auctionable goods at a BNBC-compliant location; and training and deployment of at least 18% of all employees for fire, rescue and first aid duties, with proper identification, as required under the Fire Service Act.
