The Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) has claimed that the devastating fire at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport caused losses worth Tk 12,000 crore.

EAB President Mohammad Hatem made the claim at a press conference held at Hotel Sonargaon in the capital on Monday.

He said the incident had exposed a serious weakness in the airport’s security and safety measures, leaving the business community deeply concerned. “The initial estimate shows a loss of Tk 12,000 crore due to the fire at the cargo village,” he added.

Hatem urged the authorities to ensure quick settlement of insurance claims for the damaged goods and called for the creation of a special government fund to provide compensation and assistance for uninsured exports.

According to EAB, 32 pharmaceutical companies alone have suffered losses amounting to Tk 200 crore, and the figure may increase further after full assessment.

A massive fire broke out at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday (Oct 18). Firefighters, with the support of the army, navy, air force and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), managed to bring the blaze under control after more than seven and a half hours of effort.