The government has invited foreign specialists from Australia, China, the UK and Turkey to assist in the investigation into the massive fire at the cargo village of Dhaka Airport, which caused an estimated $1 billion in damage, Home Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said.
Speaking at a press briefing after inspecting the damaged cargo village and e-gates on Saturday, he said the international team will examine whether mismanagement or operational lapses contributed to the blaze.
“They will help determine the cause of the fire and identify who is responsible,” he said.
The adviser described the blaze as an accident and noted that the airport’s own fire service units responded immediately. However, the fire spread rapidly, making it difficult to bring under control, he added.
The fire broke out around 2:15 pm on 18 October at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. It was brought under control after nearly seven hours and fully extinguished 27 hours later.
Flight operations were temporarily suspended but resumed after 9 pm the same day. No casualties were reported.
The Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) has estimated the losses at Tk12,000 crore. Limited clearance of imported goods has since resumed at the airport.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) has warned that the pharmaceutical sector may face losses of up to Tk4,000 crore following the fire.
To determine the cause of the incident and assess the extent of damage, several investigation committees have been formed.
A seven-member committee of Biman Bangladesh Airlines is examining operational issues, while a core seven-member committee led by the Home Secretary is probing the fire’s origin.
Additionally, a five-member team from the Ministry of Finance’s Internal Resources Division is evaluating the financial losses, and another five-member committee from the Fire Service and Civil Defence is conducting its own inquiry.
