Monday, 20 October, 2025
A massive fire tore through the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon, forcing a complete suspension of flight operations as firefighters, military personnel, and airport authorities battled for hours to contain the inferno.
The blaze, which began around 2:15 pm in the import section of the cargo complex, sent thick plumes of smoke billowing over the airport and surrounding areas, disrupting both domestic and international air traffic.
Airport authorities confirmed that all take-offs and landings were halted as a precautionary measure. “We are handling an emergency situation,” said Group Captain SM Ragib Samad, Executive Director of HSIA, in an audio message circulated to the media. “Our airport and armed forces fire units are working in coordination to bring the situation under control.”
By early evening, over 36 firefighting units, along with members of the Bangladesh Air Force, Navy, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), were deployed to douse the flames. The area has been cordoned off, and emergency teams were seen relocating parked aircraft from nearby hangars to safer zones.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence said the cause of the fire and extent of the damage remain under investigation, though no casualties have been reported so far.
“Thirty units are working at the site while six more are on the way,” said Tahla Bin Jashim, a Fire Service media officer. “The source of the fire is still being investigated.”
Flights Diverted to Chattogram and Kolkata
As operations ground to a halt, several international flights bound for Dhaka were diverted to Chattogram and Kolkata, while departing aircraft remained stranded on the taxiway awaiting clearance.
A US-Bangla Airlines flight from Bangkok and an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah landed in Chattogram, while IndiGo’s Delhi-Dhaka service was rerouted to Kolkata.
A Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong circled over Dhaka for nearly an hour before being redirected.
Domestic operations were also hit: a Biman flight from Saidpur and a US-Bangla flight from Chattogram were both forced to land in Chattogram instead of Dhaka.
Meanwhile, Batik Air’s Dhaka–Kuala Lumpur (OD-163) and IndiGo’s Dhaka–Mumbai (6E-1116) flights remained grounded, awaiting further instruction from air traffic control.
Airport officials assured that passenger safety remains the top priority, and that normal operations will resume only after full containment and safety inspections are completed.
As night fell, the scene around the cargo complex remained chaotic, with emergency vehicles racing in and out of the restricted zone, and stranded passengers crowding the terminals for updates.
Comments
A massive fire tore through the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon, forcing a complete suspension of flight operations as firefighters, military personnel, and airport authorities battled for hours to contain the inferno.
The blaze, which began around 2:15 pm in the import section of the cargo complex, sent thick plumes of smoke billowing over the airport and surrounding areas, disrupting both domestic and international air traffic.
Airport authorities confirmed that all take-offs and landings were halted as a precautionary measure. “We are handling an emergency situation,” said Group Captain SM Ragib Samad, Executive Director of HSIA, in an audio message circulated to the media. “Our airport and armed forces fire units are working in coordination to bring the situation under control.”
By early evening, over 36 firefighting units, along with members of the Bangladesh Air Force, Navy, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), were deployed to douse the flames. The area has been cordoned off, and emergency teams were seen relocating parked aircraft from nearby hangars to safer zones.
The Fire Service and Civil Defence said the cause of the fire and extent of the damage remain under investigation, though no casualties have been reported so far.
“Thirty units are working at the site while six more are on the way,” said Tahla Bin Jashim, a Fire Service media officer. “The source of the fire is still being investigated.”
Flights Diverted to Chattogram and Kolkata
As operations ground to a halt, several international flights bound for Dhaka were diverted to Chattogram and Kolkata, while departing aircraft remained stranded on the taxiway awaiting clearance.
A US-Bangla Airlines flight from Bangkok and an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah landed in Chattogram, while IndiGo’s Delhi-Dhaka service was rerouted to Kolkata.
A Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong circled over Dhaka for nearly an hour before being redirected.
Domestic operations were also hit: a Biman flight from Saidpur and a US-Bangla flight from Chattogram were both forced to land in Chattogram instead of Dhaka.
Meanwhile, Batik Air’s Dhaka–Kuala Lumpur (OD-163) and IndiGo’s Dhaka–Mumbai (6E-1116) flights remained grounded, awaiting further instruction from air traffic control.
Airport officials assured that passenger safety remains the top priority, and that normal operations will resume only after full containment and safety inspections are completed.
As night fell, the scene around the cargo complex remained chaotic, with emergency vehicles racing in and out of the restricted zone, and stranded passengers crowding the terminals for updates.
Comments
