Shahjalal airport faces inferno 6 days after 100% cargo safety praise

Just six days after Bangladesh's aviation security earned high international recognition, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka has been hit by a massive fire that gutted its cargo village — causing losses that businesses fear will reach up to $1 billion.

The blaze, which took nearly seven hours to bring under control by a multi-agency firefighting team including the army, navy, and air force on Saturday (18 October), has triggered serious questions about infrastructure safety at one of the country's most critical aviation facilities.

Around 11:30pm, the intensity of the fire inside the cargo village reduced, but the flames were yet to be fully doused. Black and white smoke was still coming out of the structure.

Ironically, this comes only a week after both HSIA and Sylhet's Osmani International Airport (OIA) achieved outstanding scores in a security assessment by the United Kingdom's Department for Transport (DfT).

According to a press release from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab), the DfT inspection, conducted in August, awarded HSIA an overall score of 93%, including a perfect 100% score in the "Additional measures assessment for cargo".

Osmani airport fared similarly well, securing a perfect 100% for cargo security, the state-run news agency BSS reported.

UK inspectors reportedly expressed "deep satisfaction" with Caab's preparedness and performance.

Caab had hailed the results as a milestone, describing them as proof of Bangladesh's alignment with international best practices and global confidence in its aviation security regime.

From global recognition to local crisis

The DfT's overseas airport assessments ensure that airports handling flights to the UK maintain stringent aviation security standards for passengers and cargo.

But the timing of the Dhaka fire has cast a shadow over that achievement, with safety and operational weaknesses now under scrutiny.

Saturday's incident disrupted airport operations for hours, with over nine flights delayed or diverted, causing passenger suffering and logistical chaos.

For the export-dependent economy, the impact may be far-reaching.

Officials from the International Air Express Association of Bangladesh said about one-third of all import and export goods transported by air are from the apparel and textile sector. 

More than 60 international air courier services currently operate in Bangladesh, many of them through the Dhaka airport cargo village.

Traders sound the alarm

Business leaders said the blaze has revived long-standing concerns about fire safety and storage standards at airport facilities.

"The fire at such a highly sensitive area like the cargo village clearly shows how unsafe the place is," said BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem, speaking to The Business Standard on Saturday evening.

"For years, we exporters have been complaining that our goods are stored in open and unsafe spaces, posing major fire risks," he said.

Similarly, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu said, "On Saturday, we emailed all our members, asking them to report what goods they had stored in air cargo."

He said it was still too early to quantify losses. He himself had imported accessories and machinery in the cargo area but had yet to learn whether his consignments were safe.

"If those shipments don't arrive on time, I could face heavy export losses," he said.

Billions at stake

A large number of cargo village users belong to the readymade garment (RMG) sector, which relies on the facility to import light machinery and electronics and export apparel products and samples abroad.

The complex also handles shipments for international courier services, pharmaceutical firms importing raw materials, and agricultural exporters shipping perishables like vegetables overseas.

While the exact extent of the fire's damage remains under investigation, early estimates suggest a potential $1 billion impact on Bangladesh's import and export chain.

"It's too early to estimate the direct losses," said Kabir Ahmed Khan, president of the International Air Express Association of Bangladesh.

"But the overall impact – both direct and indirect – on imports and exports could exceed $1 billion," he said.

Just a decade ago, Bangladesh's air cargo sector faced major setbacks when inadequate screening led to restrictions on direct shipments to the UK and EU in 2016. 

Exporters were forced to re-screen goods in third countries.

Since then, Caab and airport authorities have invested in upgrades: advanced Explosive Detection Systems (EDS), Explosive Detection Dogs (EDD), and extensive staff training.

Officials had said earlier that the UK's latest recognition proves that Bangladesh has successfully addressed those past weaknesses.

"This recognition from the UK assures global partners that our aviation and cargo security meet international expectations," Caab said in its statement.

The agency credited "visionary leadership, a steadfast regulatory framework, and the effective implementation of aviation security measures" for the achievement — pledging continued efforts to maintain Bangladesh's standing as one of the region's most compliant and trusted air transport hubs.

In the meantime, a probe committee has been formed to find out the cause of the fire. 

In response to today's incident, the interim government said security services were investigating recent incidents of fire thoroughly and safeguarding lives and property, warning that any evidence of sabotage or arson would be met with a swift and decisive response.