By CCTV camera - YouTube
Business leaders in Bangladesh are warning of losses exceeding $1bn (£750m) after a massive blaze tore through the logistics section of the country’s main airport on Saturday, destroying vast quantities of export goods.
Garments, fabrics and other raw materials were among the items lost in the fire, which could threaten the survival of some exporters, according to leading trade associations. The fire, which raged for 27 hours before it was finally extinguished, also disrupted flight schedules and temporarily halted operations at the airport.
Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest exporter of clothing after China, supplying major international retailers such as H&M and Walmart. Its garment industry contributes about $40bn annually to the economy — over 10% of the nation’s GDP.
Local reports said at least 35 people were injured while battling the blaze.
The affected cargo village is one of Bangladesh’s busiest logistics centres, especially during the pre-Christmas export surge. The warehouse handled a wide variety of goods including textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and other high-value items.
Some of the goods destroyed were crucial samples intended to secure new international buyers, raising fears that the disaster could jeopardise future contracts. Inamul Haq Khan, senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said on Sunday that member companies had been asked to submit detailed lists of damaged items to help assess the full scale of the financial hit.
In an email to the BBC, the International Air Express Association of Bangladesh also estimated total losses from the blaze at more than $1bn.
Saturday’s inferno was the third major fire in the country within a single week. On Tuesday, a warehouse fire killed at least 16 people and injured dozens more. Two days later, another blaze gutted a seven-storey garment factory in the southern port city of Chittagong.
The cause of the latest incident is still being investigated. However, the rapid succession of fires has sparked widespread speculation online, with some social media users claiming the incidents were “pre-planned” or linked.
In previous years, large-scale industrial fires have been politically charged events, with rival parties accusing one another of negligence or sabotage. Analysts say the current speculation reflects a broader frustration with Bangladesh’s lack of accountability for past disasters, where official investigations rarely led to prosecutions.
The country’s interim government issued a statement on Saturday promising “immediate and firm action” if any credible evidence of arson or deliberate damage is uncovered.
Large fires remain a persistent problem in densely populated Bangladesh, often blamed on outdated infrastructure, poor safety standards and weak regulatory enforcement. Hundreds of people have died in industrial and warehouse fires over the past decade, despite repeated pledges of reform.
About the Author
