Goods worth $1b may be damaged in Dhaka airport fire

Goods worth nearly $1 billion may have been damaged in the fire at the import cargo complex of Dhaka airport, said a leader of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

The extent of the losses from the fire is yet to be assessed, but it may reach nearly $1 billion, said Inamul Haq Khan, senior vice-president of the BGMEA, speaking in front of the fire-ravaged cargo village area at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

He spoke with journalists after visiting the damaged area.

He said the export section of the cargo village remains unaffected by the devastating fire that broke out around 2:15pm yesterday.

The fire which came under control after 7 hours, severely damaged the import storage area, mainly used for keeping samples of clothing items.

Garment exporters are the main users of the cargo village, shipping more than 600 tonnes of dry cargo on a regular day. The volume can rise to as high as 1,200 tonnes per day during the peak season from October to December, exporters said.

Khan said the government has instructed the airport authorities to keep the cargo village operational round the clock, including on weekends (Friday and Saturday), to facilitate export and import activities.