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Leaders of the country’s readymade garment sector estimated that losses from the devastating fire at the cargo village complex of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka might exceed $1 billion.

They explained that the sector might lose millions of dollars due to the burning of the imported products, and its impact might be devastating for delaying export and suspending orders.

The exporters said that the incident dealt a serious blow to the country’s export trade, particularly the RMG sector, while speaking to the journalists during a visit to the cargo village near Gate No 8 of the HSIA on Sunday. 

Earlier on Saturday, a massive fire erupted at around 2:30pm at the airport’s import cargo village, and within moments, it spread rapidly, burning down two of the three sections of the cargo complex before reaching the chemical warehouse near Gate-8.

The director general of Fire Service and Civil Defence at about 10:00pm on Saturday said that the fire had been brought under control but not fully extinguished, adding that it would take more time. Even by Sunday noon, the operation was still ongoing.

Delegations of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Garment Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers and Exporters Association, and a number of clearing and forwarding agents visited the HSIA on Sunday.

Inamul Haq Khan Bablu, acting president (senior vice president) of the BGMEA, said that they were here to visit the affected site and assess the situation firsthand.

‘Typically, high-value products and urgent shipments are transported by air. The fire has completely destroyed many such critical consignments,’ he added.

Among the damaged goods were export-ready garments, valuable raw materials, and, most importantly, sample products prepared for upcoming business deals.

‘These samples are crucial in developing new business opportunities and the loss poses a serious threat to future export prospects and business growth,’ he added.

They are currently working to assess the extent of the damage and collect detailed information, he added, saying that they have sent letters to member factories requesting a list of lost or damaged goods in a prescribed format.

‘Almost all our members use air shipment for exports. On average, 200–250 factories export products daily by air. Hence, the financial impact of this fire is substantial,’ he added.

The BGMEA will soon hold a coordination meeting with all authorities concerned.

He urged the government to provide comprehensive support and compensation for the affected entrepreneurs.

He also urged the immediate facilitation of new shipments to maintain the smooth operation of exports.

‘As the dry season is ongoing, we must all remain vigilant to prevent such incidents in the future. We urge all factories and industrial establishments to take heightened fire safety precautions to avoid similar tragedies,’ he added.

BGMEA director Faisal Samad described the scene inside as ‘horrific’.

‘The entire import section has been gutted and our initial estimate is that losses could exceed millions of dollars,’ he added.

He also said that the government would provide immediate assistance to facilitate the import of new consignments by arranging temporary arrangements at Terminal 3 for import storage, and clearance procedures would now be completed within 36 hours instead of the previous 72.

‘A joint working committee with Customs is being formed to expedite the release of goods,’ he added, saying that they would continue work even on weekends.

BKMEA president Mohammad Hatem said that the government should provide insurance facilities properly to cover the losses.

However, a number of importers, especially smaller ones, don›t have any insurance facilities.

‘We urge the government to identify those importers and provide incentives from the governmental side,’ he added.

The fire in the import section already burnt the imported products, and the businesses would face further blow as they couldn’t export the final products dependent on the burnt goods.

He questioned the facilities of the airport, as such a devastating fire at one of the most important KPI facilities proved the country’s poor maintenance systems.

The government should investigate properly whether there was any negligence and improperness, he added, saying that a number of incidents of the fire could be a planned or sabotage ones.

Responding to a question, he said that the buyers from global destination already expressed their worry about the fire, which could tarnish the image of the country.

Regarding the losses, he said that it was not less than $1 billion on spot losses and its impact on further exports.

Md Shahriar, president of the BGAPMEA, said their sector had products worth around Tk 90-100 crore at the cargo village, which was burnt.

‘If we could not supply accessories timely, the RMG sector could suffer,’ he added.

The BGMEA, BKMEA, BTMA, and BGAPMEA urged their members to assess the extent of the damage and submit detailed information to the respective association.

On Sunday, the adviser to the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Tourism, and Commerce, SK Bashir Uddin, said that the full extent of the losses from the devastating fire at the imported goods cargo village is currently being assessed.

He also said that all imported goods stored in the cargo depot had been destroyed.

‘We are now working to determine the total financial losses, the weight of the damaged goods, and conducting a sector-wise assessment,’ he added.

He also said that their commitment was to resume airport operations by 9:00pm, and they succeeded,’ he said, adding that around 21 flights were diverted or canceled due to the fire.

‘To ease passenger inconvenience, all fees and charges for non-scheduled and additional flights have been waived for the next three days,’ he added.

Responding to a question regarding a delayed fire response, he stated that he had spoken with Fire Service officials, who confirmed that the airport’s own firefighting unit began operations within 30 seconds of the fire breaking out.

The WASA also provided water supply support, and any complaints of delay would be taken seriously and investigated.

‘A cataloguing committee has already been formed to analyse the pre-fire and post-fire conditions,’ he added.

When asked about the possibility of sabotage, the adviser stated, they are considering all possibilities; nothing is being ruled out.

He also dismissed any notion of weak firefighting capacity.

Regarding the damaged goods, he explained, normally, all imports are covered by letters of credit.

He also stated that if cargo operations were to cease, it would have a severe impact on global trade.

‘In coordination with NBR and BGMEA, we are arranging alternative measures and the work will continue 24/7 throughout the week to ensure an uninterrupted cargo supply,’ he added.

He said that they would review whether the affected goods were covered by insurance and assess the adequacy of the airport’s own insurance coverage. Based on those findings, necessary actions would be taken.

As of Sunday, white smoke continued to rise from the blazing cargo village, and firefighters were working to extinguish it completely.

Meanwhile, hundreds of importers and clearing and forwarding agents demanded clarity regarding their losses and the causes behind the deadly blaze.

Many gathered in front of the burnt-out complex, lamenting the massive losses from the blaze.

Belal Hossain of Jane Trading Ltd, a C&F agent specialising in imports for the garments sector and various foreign investors, said that they had imported goods worth Tk 200 crore.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the National Board of Revenue said that the Civil Aviation Authority has temporarily designated the GSE Maintenance area for storing goods.

‘Customs officials are conducting physical inspections of consignments at the site, have established ASYCUDA World connectivity at Gate No. 9, and are carrying out the clearance process through that gate,’ the statement added.

In a statement, the Dhaka Customs Agents Association blamed the delayed response of the Civil Aviation Authority and the Fire Service for the severe damage to imported goods.

The association also said that the fire completely destroyed the complex and the imported goods were stored there.

The CAAB and FSCD failed to arrive at the spot instantly to douse the blaze, and this irreparable damage was caused due to the delay and a lack of coordination,’ said DCAA president Md Mizanur Rahman.

The association said the imported goods storage complex is completely unusable, and it would not be possible to resume import operations without reconstruction.

The association also called for the formation of an independent probe committee to determine the real cause of the fire, as it might be a plot to cripple economic activities by inflicting damage on factories and import-export operations.