A massive fire at the cargo complex of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has caused severe damage to Bangladesh’s garment export sector during the peak shipping season.
The blaze, which broke out on Saturday afternoon in the cargo import area, destroyed large quantities of raw materials, finished apparel, and product samples awaiting shipment.
Faisal Samad, director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), described the aftermath as “devastating,” estimating total losses could reach $1 billion. “The entire import section has been reduced to ashes,” he said after inspecting the site.
Smoke continued to billow from the ruins on Sunday as firefighters and airport authorities assessed the scale of the destruction. BGMEA Senior Vice-President Inamul Haq Khan said the losses included “urgent air shipments” and product samples vital for securing future export orders.
He warned that the damage could jeopardize Bangladesh’s $47 billion garment industry by delaying shipments and affecting new business deals.
The affected cargo village is one of the country’s busiest logistics hubs, handling more than 600 metric tons of dry cargo daily, double that amount during the October-to-December peak season.
“Every day, around 200 to 250 factories send their products by air,” Khan noted, highlighting the far-reaching financial consequences of the incident.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire, and an investigation is ongoing. The disaster marks the third major fire in Bangladesh within a week, following deadly blazes at garment factories and a chemical warehouse in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Government officials said the security services were conducting thorough investigations into all incidents and warned that any evidence of sabotage or arson would be met with “a swift and resolute response.”
They urged the public to remain calm, assuring that “no act of criminality or provocation will be allowed to disrupt public life or the political process.”
As the world’s second-largest apparel exporter after China, Bangladesh’s garment sector, supplying major global retailers such as Walmart, H&M, and Gap, faces renewed challenges from the tragedy, which is expected to disrupt export schedules and strain the industry’s recovery efforts.
TRADE WORLD | Algeria Aims $5B Non-Hydrocarbon Exports by End of 2025
