Operations of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) cargo village will temporarily be shifted to the airport’s third terminal until repairs are completed. The area was gutted by a devastating fire on Saturday.
This decision was made during a meeting between Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin and a delegation from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Sunday.
Additionally, the unloading process will remain operational 24/7 and goods will be unloaded within 36 hours of arrival, according to sources from BGMEA.
A five-member delegation led by BGMEA’s acting president Inamul Haque Khan visited the site of the fire at the cargo village to assess the damage and prepare a report on the losses.
Meanwhile, exporters and importers are concerned that the fire has severely disrupted commercial supply chains, causing billion-dollar losses. They argue that the disaster has struck the heart of Bangladesh’s export operations.
The garment sector has been hit the hardest, as it heavily depends on air transport for urgent export orders.
Reports suggest extensive damage to several cargo handling areas and warehouses at the airport, resulting in a complete halt to air exports and imports. This has caused delays in shipments, and the timeline for exports has become uncertain, industry leaders warned.
Expressed concern, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) President Mohammad Hatem, saying, “We still cannot fully assess the total loss, but we can say that the damage will be significant.
“Despite four decades of growth, we still lack an international-standard airport for our primary sector that can efficiently handle such emergencies. This is truly unfortunate.”
According to former BGMEA Vice-President Shahidullah Azim, the damage could exceed one billion dollars.
He said, “Due to repeated disruptions at the Chattogram port in recent months, exporters had turned to air transport for urgent shipments. Now, that last resort is also shut down due to the fire.”
Industry insiders have also warned that the import of perishable goods, pharmaceuticals, and electronics could be impacted. Importers are struggling to receive their shipments, while exporters are attempting to send goods through alternative routes using regional airports.
Inamul Haque Khan, acting president of BGMEA, said, “We primarily import raw materials through the airport. Though the quantity is small, these raw materials are used to produce goods for export.
“With these raw materials destroyed in the fire, many factories will face significant losses in the coming months.”
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire and the final extent of the damage. However, airport authorities have not yet released a comprehensive report on the matter.
