Monday, 20 October, 2025
A 15-minute discrepancy has emerged between the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Fire Service over the timeline of Saturday’s devastating fire at the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka — raising new questions about response delays and crisis management at one of the country’s most sensitive installations.
According to the Civil Aviation Ministry, the fire broke out at 2:15pm. But Fire Service officials said they were informed only at 2:30pm, with the first firefighting unit reaching the site at 2:50pm.
If both accounts are accurate, that means the first fire engine arrived 35 minutes after the blaze began — a delay that has drawn criticism from those who witnessed the chaos unfold.
Clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents engaged in import and export operations at the cargo complex said the delay in the Fire Service’s arrival allowed the flames to spread uncontrollably.
They alleged that the first fire vehicle was held up at Gate No. 8 due to security clearance issues, costing precious time during the initial response.
“The fire started before 2pm and spread rapidly,” said Imran Hossain, director of A-One Group, a C&F and logistics firm. “The blaze began in the courier warehouse, possibly in the DHL section. When people tried to put it out, they weren’t allowed inside.”
Imran said security personnel restricted access to prevent theft as the warehouse contained valuable courier goods, including chemicals and potentially explosive materials.
Other witnesses said the fire began at the Sky Capital Airlines warehouse before spreading to the DHL courier section and finally to the ‘Dangerous Goods’ area, which stored hazardous substances.
“There are cameras everywhere inside the cargo warehouse,” said one worker requesting anonymity. “The footage will show exactly when and how the fire started.”
The Fire Service later said 37 units were deployed, supported by the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Ansar personnel. The blaze was brought under control at 9:18pm, after nearly seven hours of operations — the longest firefighting effort in the airport’s history.
Witnesses and workers claimed Fire Service vehicles were delayed at the security gate. Khairul Alam Bhuiyan Mithu, vice-president of the Shahjalal Airport C&F Agents Association, said,
“The fire started around 2pm. Many tried to help extinguish it, but Ansar personnel drove them away, saying there were explosives and chemicals inside. The Fire Service waited at Gate 8 due to permission issues.”
In response, Civil Aviation Advisor Sheikh Bashir Uddin denied the claim:
“You said that; we will investigate. However, there is no chance such a thing happened.”
Fire Service Director General Brig Gen Muhammad Jahed Kamal said he was unaware of any obstruction, explaining,
“We received the news at 2:30pm and moved immediately. But this is an international airport, so one has to be cautious while entering.”
When asked whether the fire could be an act of sabotage amid the country’s tense political climate, Advisor Bashir Uddin reacted sharply.
“Is it right to ask such a question so quickly?” he told reporters near the site around 8:30pm. “It’s illogical to raise such a question at this stage. Our priority is to restore airport operations and assess the damage.”
Bashir, who also oversees the commerce ministry, arrived at the scene several hours after the fire broke out.
In its press note, the Civil Aviation Ministry said:
“Through prompt and coordinated action by the Fire Service and airport authorities, the fire has been fully controlled. No casualties have been reported.”
However, the Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO) later issued a separate statement acknowledging widespread public concern after a series of major fires in recent weeks — including those in Mirpur and Chittagong Export Processing Zone.
The CAO said the government was “deeply aware” of public anxiety and assured that security services are investigating each incident thoroughly.
“If these fires prove to be acts of sabotage aimed at sowing panic and division,” the statement said, “they will only succeed if we allow fear to overtake our reason and resolve.”
It pledged swift and resolute action should credible evidence of sabotage or arson emerge.
Despite official assurances, questions remain about why it took so long for firefighters to reach a high-security zone like Shahjalal Airport.
The 15-minute discrepancy between ministry and Fire Service accounts, the alleged gate delay, and the rapid spread of the blaze all point to systemic coordination failures — or possibly, to something more deliberate.
Until investigators can establish a clear timeline and cause, speculation will continue to swirl — and so will the public’s unease over whether the nation’s critical infrastructures are truly secure.
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A 15-minute discrepancy has emerged between the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Fire Service over the timeline of Saturday’s devastating fire at the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka — raising new questions about response delays and crisis management at one of the country’s most sensitive installations.
According to the Civil Aviation Ministry, the fire broke out at 2:15pm. But Fire Service officials said they were informed only at 2:30pm, with the first firefighting unit reaching the site at 2:50pm.
If both accounts are accurate, that means the first fire engine arrived 35 minutes after the blaze began — a delay that has drawn criticism from those who witnessed the chaos unfold.
Clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents engaged in import and export operations at the cargo complex said the delay in the Fire Service’s arrival allowed the flames to spread uncontrollably.
They alleged that the first fire vehicle was held up at Gate No. 8 due to security clearance issues, costing precious time during the initial response.
“The fire started before 2pm and spread rapidly,” said Imran Hossain, director of A-One Group, a C&F and logistics firm. “The blaze began in the courier warehouse, possibly in the DHL section. When people tried to put it out, they weren’t allowed inside.”
Imran said security personnel restricted access to prevent theft as the warehouse contained valuable courier goods, including chemicals and potentially explosive materials.
Other witnesses said the fire began at the Sky Capital Airlines warehouse before spreading to the DHL courier section and finally to the ‘Dangerous Goods’ area, which stored hazardous substances.
“There are cameras everywhere inside the cargo warehouse,” said one worker requesting anonymity. “The footage will show exactly when and how the fire started.”
The Fire Service later said 37 units were deployed, supported by the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Ansar personnel. The blaze was brought under control at 9:18pm, after nearly seven hours of operations — the longest firefighting effort in the airport’s history.
Witnesses and workers claimed Fire Service vehicles were delayed at the security gate. Khairul Alam Bhuiyan Mithu, vice-president of the Shahjalal Airport C&F Agents Association, said,
“The fire started around 2pm. Many tried to help extinguish it, but Ansar personnel drove them away, saying there were explosives and chemicals inside. The Fire Service waited at Gate 8 due to permission issues.”
In response, Civil Aviation Advisor Sheikh Bashir Uddin denied the claim:
“You said that; we will investigate. However, there is no chance such a thing happened.”
Fire Service Director General Brig Gen Muhammad Jahed Kamal said he was unaware of any obstruction, explaining,
“We received the news at 2:30pm and moved immediately. But this is an international airport, so one has to be cautious while entering.”
When asked whether the fire could be an act of sabotage amid the country’s tense political climate, Advisor Bashir Uddin reacted sharply.
“Is it right to ask such a question so quickly?” he told reporters near the site around 8:30pm. “It’s illogical to raise such a question at this stage. Our priority is to restore airport operations and assess the damage.”
Bashir, who also oversees the commerce ministry, arrived at the scene several hours after the fire broke out.
In its press note, the Civil Aviation Ministry said:
“Through prompt and coordinated action by the Fire Service and airport authorities, the fire has been fully controlled. No casualties have been reported.”
However, the Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO) later issued a separate statement acknowledging widespread public concern after a series of major fires in recent weeks — including those in Mirpur and Chittagong Export Processing Zone.
The CAO said the government was “deeply aware” of public anxiety and assured that security services are investigating each incident thoroughly.
“If these fires prove to be acts of sabotage aimed at sowing panic and division,” the statement said, “they will only succeed if we allow fear to overtake our reason and resolve.”
It pledged swift and resolute action should credible evidence of sabotage or arson emerge.
Despite official assurances, questions remain about why it took so long for firefighters to reach a high-security zone like Shahjalal Airport.
The 15-minute discrepancy between ministry and Fire Service accounts, the alleged gate delay, and the rapid spread of the blaze all point to systemic coordination failures — or possibly, to something more deliberate.
Until investigators can establish a clear timeline and cause, speculation will continue to swirl — and so will the public’s unease over whether the nation’s critical infrastructures are truly secure.
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