Probe finds short circuit caused Dhaka airport fire, 'not sabotage'
The investigation report was submitted to the chief adviser this afternoon
The fire at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's cargo village was caused by an electrical short circuit, not sabotage, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said, citing the findings of an investigation report.
"Electrical arcing and a short circuit ignited the fire, which started between several courier cages located along the northwest corner of the extended section of the courier shed," he said at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy this evening (25 November).
Earlier in the day, Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Faruk-e-Azam submitted the probe report on the airport fire to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
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Speaking at the media briefing, Shafiqul Alam said the cause of the fire was confirmed by reports from the expert team from Turkiye, Buet specialists, fire safety experts, and CID forensic units.
"The probe committee found that the courier shed housed 48 small iron cage offices designated for different 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.
The press secretary further said that the probe body found flammable items such as cloth rolls wrapped in polythene, chemicals, compressed perfume and body spray bottles, electronic goods, batteries, and raw materials for pharmaceutical products stored there, disregarding the rules and safety measures.
On 18 October, a devastating fire erupted at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's import cargo village, causing significant losses to businesses.
The fire took nearly seven hours to bring under control by a multi-agency firefighting team, including the army, navy, and air force, and raised serious questions about infrastructure safety at one of the country's most critical aviation facilities.
Following the incident, the interim government of Bangladesh invited a Turkiye team, which conducted a joint investigation with the team from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).
Weakness of administration
The report said that there were 7 major fire incidents since 2011. It has been 9 years of communication between Caab and FSCD for one MoU, which is still not signed.
The recommendations of the Bangladesh National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (BNACWC) for shifting the dangerous goods godown to a different location have been ignored since 2021.
About 75% of total goods were auctionable and had been piled up in the main cargo space for years.
Following the fire, discussions on the relocation of the cargo village have resumed. A member of the home ministry's investigation committee said the panel may recommend moving the facility off-site in its upcoming report.
However, customs officials highlight two challenges: not all courier companies handling international parcels are fully compliant, and relocating operations could provide opportunities for misuse by non-compliant operators.
Accountability lacks
The probe report said that Caab failed to ensure proper safety of the clients' properties. As the lessee of Caab, Biman failed to ensure necessary protective services from Caab, nor did they provide such protective services from their end.
As the lessee of Caab, courier companies failed to ensure necessary protective services from Caab, nor did they provide such protective services from their end.
Dhaka Customs House is equally responsible, as they failed to clear the auctionable imported goods in time; as a result, these were piled up in the main cargo space for years.
Challenges faced by firefighters
According to the investigation report, firefighters encountered an intense, fully developed blaze with temperatures exceeding 1,500°C. The situation was further complicated by large piles of courier and cargo goods stacked on the apron, which obstructed the movement of fire trucks. Responders also struggled
with locked iron grills, a lack of fire hydrants and the presence of unidentified chemicals within the area. Efforts were hampered by inadequate water and foam supplies, as well as structural collapses and falling debris that posed significant risks during the operation.
