Storing valuable imports sans fire detection-protection system alleged

Mr Chowdhury said the fire had originated in the customs-house section of the cargo village. The building was divided into several small compartments and contained a large amount of combustible and hazardous materials inside.

"As a result, the occupancy load was very high and it took time to extinguish the fire," he noted.

And the building was made of a steel structure-a cause of the tamed fire simmer and spewing fumes so long.

"These metal parts absorb heat from the fire and are still releasing it slowly. That's why smoke is still visible from outside, but there is no flame or risk of reignition. Four units of the Fire Service will remain on alert as long as smoke is visible," he said.

Referring to eyewitness comments that the Fire Service had delayed in responding, Tajul Islam Chowdhury said, "We reached the spot on time. There was no obstacle or delay from anywhere. The airport's own fire team and our Fire Service worked separately, and nothing irregular took place under our supervision."

Meanwhile, Commerce and Civil Aviation Adviser of the interim government Sk Bashir Uddin said they were assessing the extent of damage, in terms of both economic value and physical weight, in the fire that gutted the HSIA cargo village mainly stuffed with imports.

During a media briefing on the Import Cargo Village premises, he said, "The goods stored in the import-cargo area were destroyed in the fire. Efforts are underway to assess the extent of the damage in terms of both economic value and physical weight. Additionally, sector-wise losses are also being calculated."

The Adviser further said the government issued notification to ease the sufferings of the air passengers, and all types of tariffs were waived for all the non-scheduled additional flights arriving and departing over the next three days.

Bashir Uddin confirmed that 21 flights were diverted or cancelled during the disruption and food, accommodation, and other services were arranged for stranded passengers, though some backlogs may remain.

Meanwhile, Inamul Haq Khan, senior vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), in a separate briefing, told the reporters that they were also assessing the extent of damage. They have issued letters to the members seeking lists of their goods damaged in the cargo village.

They have requested the authority to allot space in the new import-cargo village of the third terminal to store imported goods, he said, adding that the government also requested the importers to release their goods within 36 hours of arrival. And special tariff would be offered for them if they release their goods on Saturday and Friday.

Several counts of electrical equipment brought for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant were burnt in the massive fire. The equipment was supposed to be unloaded from the Cargo Village Sunday.

Electrical equipment was brought from Russia for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. A company called Mamata Trading Company works as a C&F for unloading imported goods at the airport.

Mamata Trading's Customs Sarkar Biplob Hossain in front of the airport's Cargo Village said about 18 tonnes of electrical equipment arrived from Russia in seven shipments six days ago.

Biplob Hossain said for the release of these goods, an NOC or no-objection certificate has to be obtained from the Atomic Energy Commission. Due to the delay in obtaining that NOC, the goods could not be released until last Thursday. They were supposed to be released on Sunday, but, in the meantime, these goods were charred.

Meanwhile, president of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Taskeen Ahmed expressed grave concern over the fire incident. He said through a high-power investigating team the reason behind this "catastrophe should be brought out in front of all".

He notes that ports are very important for trade and economy and, therefore, "it is a must to take effective measures to improve fire safety and fire-fighting capacity especially in these very important locations".

Meanwhile, clearing and forwarding (C&F) agents and freight-forwarding companies blamed the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and Biman Bangladesh Airlines, acting as ground-handler, for the devastating fire having swept through the airport import-cargo village.

According to the agents, firefighters were initially barred from getting in the affected area under the pretext of safety concerns, and only allowed access after one to one and a half hours, which contributed to the severity of the blaze.

Mofizul Islam, an official from a freight-forwarding company operating at HSIA, said, "Poor management of CAAB and Biman is responsible for this devastating fire. They have their own firefighting system, and a total of 37 units from the Fire Service and Civil Defence also joined the effort. So why did they still fail to control the fire?"

He added: the incident highlights a lack of adequate fire-safety system at the airport.

MR Khan Rajib, executive director of JF Enterprise, an authorised C&F agent, deplored that fire- service personnel were kept at bay for over an hour on security grounds, allowing the fire to spread further. Rashedul Hasan, another C & F agent, made similar claims.

Dhaka Customs Agents Association (DCAA) also criticised the delayed response of the CAAB and the Fire Service, saying that it caused severe damage to imported goods.

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