Fire at airport cargo complex disrupts Bangladesh’s garment exports

A massive fire at the import cargo complex of Dhaka airport has caused extensive damage to goods and materials belonging to major garment exporters, with losses and impacts on trade likely to run into millions of dollars, industry leaders said on Oct 19.



The blaze broke out on the afternoon of Oct 18 in the import section of the airport’s cargo village, forcing a temporary suspension of flights. Smoke continued to rise from the charred remains of the facility on Oct 19 as firefighters and airport officials assessed the damage.



The fire gutted storage areas used for imported raw materials, ready-to-export apparel, and product samples – all essential to Bangladesh’s US$47 billion (S$60.9 billion) garment industry.