Fire at Dhaka International Airport: Damage Exceeds One Billion Dollars, According to Estimates

A fire at Dhaka's main airport could result in damages exceeding one billion dollars, according to an initial estimate from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

"The entire section dedicated to imports has been reduced to ashes," stated Faisal Samade, BGMEA director, describing it as a "scene of devastation."

"We fear that losses may well exceed one billion dollars," he added, noting that approximately 200 to 250 companies in the country, the world's second-largest textile producer, export their products by air daily.

The cause of the fire, which broke out in the cargo terminal where fabrics, clothing accessories, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals are stored, is still unknown.

Four people with minor injuries have been hospitalized, according to Moinul Ahsan, a senior official at the Bangladesh health department.

Earlier in the day, the country's tax administration announced that it had begun assessing the damage, while the government stated that an investigation had been launched.

"We have started our assessment of the damages," said Moshiur Rahman, head of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), to AFP.

Flights resumed on Saturday evening, according to airport director S. M. Ragib Samad.

On Sunday, smoke was still rising from the ruins.

"The fire spread everywhere; I don't know if a single shipment could be saved," said an exhausted firefighter, whose uniform was grey and hands blackened.

"We were supposed to deliver goods to our clients today, and I suppose everything has been reduced to ashes," a trader, Anand Kumar Ghosh, told AFP.

The government issued a statement acknowledging the growing concern among the public following a series of recent fires, including in the Chittagong industrial free zone and in a chemical and textile factory in Dhaka on Tuesday, where 16 people died.

Security services are investigating "thoroughly" all incidents, and "any credible evidence of sabotage or arson will be met with a swift and resolute response," it added.

"No criminal or provocative acts will be tolerated that disrupt public life or the political process," it warned.