Fire at Dhaka airport's cargo village disrupts operations

A major fire has erupted in the cargo village at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka, according to several reports, forcing a full suspension of flight operations and disrupting air-cargo flows at Bangladesh’s main gateway.

The blaze, which started midday on Saturday (October 18), triggered the deployment of 37 firefighting units, including army, navy and air force teams, according to Reuters. 

While all aircraft at the airport had been declared safe, multiple international and domestic flights had been diverted. The fire had been brought under control, and flight operations have since resumed.

Acting Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman, wrote on X that it is essential to carry out a full and transparent investigation to determine the cause of these incidents and to strengthen public safety measures for the future.

Especially given the alarming surge in the frequency of fire incidents recently, including the serious blaze at the factory in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone and the garments factory in Mirpur,” he wrote.

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