Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s (HSIA) Cargo Village had no modern fire safety arrangements, including fire detection and protection systems, Fire Service and Civil Defence Director (Operations & Maintenance) Lt. Colonel Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury has said.

He made the remark on Sunday at 5:00 pm during a concluding briefing of the Fire Service at Gate 8 of the airport, after the blaze at the cargo village was fully brought under control.

Tajul Islam said the fire originated in the Customs House section of the cargo village.

The building was divided into multiple small compartments and contained large amounts of flammable and hazardous materials. The high occupancy load contributed to the prolonged firefighting efforts,” he added.

Had fire detection and protection systems been in place, such a major incident could have been avoided,” he noted.

He also said that a total of 37 units of the Fire Service and Civil Defence worked to control the fire.

We reached the site on time. There was no obstruction or delay. The airport’s own fire team and the Fire Service carried out their duties separately. No irregularities occurred,” Tajul said.

Although the fire has been fully controlled, smoke is still emanating from the cargo village. The director explained that, as the building is made of steel, heat from the fire is slowly releasing, which is why smoke remains visible.

However, there is no risk of new flames,” he added.

He further stated that four Fire Service units will remain on alert as long as smoke continues to emerge from the site.