The cargo area of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, usually bustling with the noise of officers, employees, C&F agents, and unloading workers on weekly working days, now stands in silence.
People on duty here once barely had a moment to breathe. But on Sunday, the day feels unfamiliar to everyone. With black burn marks on the walls from the fire, tearful eyes are all that can be seen. Following Saturday’s massive fire, the entire cargo zone is now eerily quiet.
On-site observation reveals barricades by law enforcement agencies on all access roads to the cargo area, particularly around Hangar Gate 8. Only individuals with institutional ID cards and journalists are allowed to enter.
Passing through the airport’s VIP gate, the cargo building becomes visible, with crowds gathered in front. All those waiting are employees of various C&F organisations. Entry into the building remains restricted.
From the outside, the once white walls are visibly blackened by the flames, making the busy, bustling building almost unrecognisable.
A worker named Arif said: “Everything is over for us. Assessment, tax, VAT—everything was okay. Our garment products were not delivered on Thursday; it was supposed to be delivered today. But now everything is over.”
Other employees, including Ismail, Sagor, and Nazim, also expressed despair, unsure when the cargo operations and busy activity will resume. Nazim said their electronics products, worth $10 thousand, were waiting for delivery but were completely burned in the fire.
Mamata Trading Company was responsible for unloading electrical equipment brought from Russia for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. The company’s customs officer, Biplob Hossain, stated that around 18 tons of equipment arrived from Russia in seven shipments six days ago.
To unload the goods, an NOC was required from the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. Due to delays in obtaining the permission, unloading could not be completed by Thursday. The unloading was scheduled for today, but the goods were burned in the fire before that.
Leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, after inspecting the site, said that reopening the cargo fully before a month is impossible.
The fire broke out on Saturday at around 2:15pm at the airport’s cargo village. Thirty-seven units of the Fire Service and Civil Defence worked to control the blaze. Personnel from the Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, Border Guards Bangladesh, Bangladesh Police, and Ansar also joined the operation.
According to airport sources, the cargo village is located between the post office and the aircraft hangar, next to Gate 8. The fire broke out in the import cargo complex building, where imported goods are stored. Almost all the goods in the building were burned.
Due to the fire, all aircraft takeoffs and landings at the airport were temporarily suspended. Flights were redirected to Chittagong and Sylhet instead of Dhaka.
Eight flights landed in Chittagong, three in Sylhet, and two flights from Chennai and Delhi landed in Kolkata. Normal operations resumed after 9pm. However, within six hours, 23 international flights had already landed at other airports, causing hardship for hundreds of passengers.
Thirty-five people, including firefighters, Civil Aviation staff, and Ansar members, were injured while extinguishing the fire. Among them, 25 are Ansar members. They were admitted to Combined Military Hospital Dhaka, and Kurmitola General Hospital.
Airport sources stated that a large amount of fabric imported for garment factories and various flammable substances were stored in the affected building. This caused delays in controlling the fire. An airport official said that the timeline for reopening the cargo village will be announced later.
