According to Fire Service sources, two major fires broke out in Dhaka between October 14 and October 18 — one in a chemical warehouse at Shialbari, Mirpur, and another in the cargo village of the capital’s international airport. In between, on October 16, a towel factory at the Chattogram Export Processing Zone (EPZ) also caught fire, causing significant damage.
The most recent incident occurred at around 2:15 p.m. on Saturday when flames erupted at the import cargo complex of Shahjalal International Airport. A total of 37 fire service units, assisted by personnel from the Navy, Air Force, Civil Aviation Authority, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police, and Ansar, rushed to the scene.
By evening, the fire was partially brought under control, but authorities confirmed it had not been fully extinguished even after five hours. “The fire is under partial control,” said Md. Masudul Hasan Masud, spokesperson for the airport’s executive director.
The fire forced authorities to suspend all flights temporarily at Dhaka’s main airport. Incoming flights were diverted to Chattogram and Sylhet, while two international flights — from Chennai and Delhi — were rerouted to Kolkata.
According to airport sources, eight flights landed in Chattogram, three in Sylhet, and two in Kolkata. Several departing flights were also stranded on the taxiway, including Batik Air’s flight OD-163 to Kuala Lumpur and IndiGo’s flight 6E-1116 to Mumbai.
“Although the fire was confined to the Cargo Village area, operations at the passenger terminal were temporarily halted for safety reasons,” said an airport official. “Normal flight operations will resume once the fire is completely under control.”
Several people, including firefighters, civil aviation staff, and Ansar members, were injured while trying to control the blaze. Md. Ashiquzzaman, public relations officer of Ansar and VDP, said 17 Ansar members were hurt. “We have deployed 1,000 members at the scene. Of those injured, nine have been admitted to CMH, and the rest are being treated at Kurmitola General Hospital,” he said.
Tahla Bin Jasim, officer of the Fire Service’s media cell, stated that nine units initially responded at 2:34 p.m., later expanding to 37 units. “The cause of the fire and the full extent of damage are still under investigation,” he added.
Just two days earlier, a towel factory at Chattogram’s EPZ was gutted. The seven-storey facility, producing Adams towels, caps, and Jihong surgical gowns, sustained heavy losses though no casualties were reported. Fire Service Assistant Director Anwar Hossain said the blaze spread rapidly due to flammable materials stored inside.
Earlier, on October 14, a deadly fire tore through a garment factory and chemical warehouse in Mirpur’s Shialbari area, killing 16 people and injuring many others. The fire engulfed the ‘Anwar Fashion’ garment factory and an adjacent chemical warehouse, taking firefighters 27 hours to bring under control, according to Fire Service Director (Operations and Maintenance) Lt. Col. Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury.
The recurrence of such large-scale fires within a short span has triggered public anxiety. Many are questioning whether these incidents are linked or reflect deeper issues of industrial safety, negligence, or sabotage. Authorities are investigating all three fires to determine their causes and assess the scale of losses.
