CAAB sets up temporary cargo hub to get HSIA moving again
In a swift response to Saturday’s devastating fire at the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), Bangladesh’s civil aviation and customs authorities have activated emergency logistics protocols to keep the country’s vital air trade flowing.
The Civil Aviation Authority, in coordination with the National Board of Revenue (NBR), has designated the GSE (Ground Support Equipment) Maintenance area within the airport perimeter as a temporary cargo handling and customs clearance zone, officials confirmed on Sunday.
According to Md Al Amin Sheikh, NBR Public Relations Officer, physical inspections of imported and exported goods are now being conducted at this alternate site.
Crucially, Gate 9 has been linked to the ASYCUDA World – the national customs management system – enabling real-time documentation, duty assessment, and cargo release.
“This arrangement ensures that despite the damage to the main Cargo Village, import-export activities can continue with minimal disruption,” Sheikh told Jago News.
The fire, which erupted at around 2:15 pm on Saturday, 18 October 2025, in a courier warehouse within the Cargo Village, raged for over six hours before being fully contained. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported, though significant infrastructure and stored goods were destroyed.
Damage assessment underway
To evaluate the full financial and operational impact, the government has formed a five-member investigation committee, led by Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Patwari, Joint Secretary of the Internal Resources Division, Ministry of Finance.
Other members include senior NBR and customs officials: Md Raich Uddin Khan, First Secretary, NBR; Md Tarek Hasan, First Secretary; Muhammad Kamrul Hasan, Joint Commissioner, Dhaka Customs House; and Pankaj Barua, Deputy Secretary, Internal Resources Division (serving as Member Secretary).
The committee has been directed to submit a comprehensive damage assessment report to the government at the earliest, which will inform decisions on reconstruction, compensation, and long-term logistics resilience.