Smoke still rising from Shahjalal Airport cargo village

Smoke was still rising from the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka after a fire broke out there on Saturday afternoon.

Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD), Brigadier General Muhammad Jahed Kamal, said on Saturday night that the fire had been brought under control at 9:18 pm.

However, smoke continued to be seen at the site until 12:15 pm on Sunday (October 19). Fire service units were spraying water from both sides to contain it.

The section of the Cargo Village where the fire erupted is used for storing imported goods. During a visit to the site, smoke was observed billowing from the northern side of Gate 8 and the main entrance area. Firefighters were spraying water to suppress the smoke, while crowds of people gathered outside the facility. Flight operations at the airport remained normal.

At around 12:15 pm today, Sheikh Bashir Uddin, adviser to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, entered the Cargo Village to assess the extent of the damage. A delegation from BGMEA is also preparing to visit the site.

The massive fire first broke out around 2:30 pm on Saturday at the Cargo Village complex building. A total of 37 units from 13 fire stations, along with teams from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), worked to bring the blaze under control. After seven hours, the fire was contained, and flight operations resumed at 9:00 pm.

Later that night, Biman Bangladesh Airlines formed a seven-member probe committee to investigate the cause of the fire and determine responsibility. The committee has been asked to submit its report within five working days.