Airport cargo village fire: Losses may reach Tk 1.0 billion, says BGMEA director

Losses from Saturday’s fire at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport could reach as much as Tk 1.0 billion, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

BGMEA Director Faisal Samad gave the estimate while responding to reporters’ questions about the scale of damage caused by the fire, the Prothom Alo reported. 

“We have witnessed an alarming picture inside. The entire import section has been gutted. We assume that the loss could be as much as one billion taka,” said Samad, who was part of a BGMEA delegation that earlier visited the site.

He added that the commerce adviser was present at the scene and assured that import operations would resume immediately. For the time being, newly arrived goods will be stored at Terminal 3 to keep trade moving.

According to Samad, the adviser also directed officials to release goods within 36 hours, reducing the previous 72-hour timeframe.

“A working committee is being formed along with customs so that goods can be released soon. Work will continue even on Fridays and Saturdays. For the sake of business, there will be no weekly holidays for now,” he said.

The BGMEA delegation that visited the site was led by Acting President Inamul Haq Khan. Other members of the delegation included BGMEA Vice President Mijanur Rahman and Director Faisal Samad.

After the visit, Enamul Haq read out a written statement before the media, while Samad addressed questions from reporters about the extent of the damage and others.