$1bn worth of damages expected from Bangladesh airport fire

Business leaders in Bangladesh fear losses of more than $1bn (£750m) after a devastating fire broke out in the logistics section of the country’s main airport on Saturday.

Clothes and raw materials were among the goods destroyed, which could put some businesses at risk, according to the country’s export associations.

The cause of the fire – which took 27 hours to extinguish – is still being investigated. The blaze had forced the temporary suspension of flights and airport operations.

Bangladesh is the word’s second-largest exporter of clothes after China, supplying global retailers like H&M and Walmart.

Bangladesh’s garment sector generates around $40bn a year, accounting for over a tenth of its gross domestic product.

Local media reports say around 35 people were injured while working to contain the blaze.

The damaged airport cargo village is among the country’s busiest logistics hubs, especially during the pre-Christmas rush. The centre stored fabrics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and other goods.

Some of the goods destroyed were “essential” samples for securing new buyers, which means affected businesses could lose out on future opportunities, Inamul Haq Khan, senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufactuers and Exporters Association, told Reuters.

In an email to the BBC, the International Air Express Association of Bangladesh also estimated damages of more than $1bn.

The garments association has asked all its members to submit a list of damaged goods to determine the full extent of the losses.

Saturday’s blaze was Bangladesh’s third major fire within a week.

On Tuesday, a deadly warehouse fire killed at least 16 people and injured many others. And on Thursday, another fire burned down a seven-story clothing factory in Chittagong.

While investigations into Saturday’s airport fire are still underway, conspiracy theories have been circulating online, linking it to the two earlier incidents and claiming all three were “pre-planned”.

In the past, the causes of such major incidents had been used by political parties to attack one another, with parties accusing opponents of exploiting the tragedies for political gain. Experts say the heightened speculation this time stems from a history of uninvestigated accusations, where no one was ever held accountable.

The interim government of Bangladesh issued a statement on Saturday, saying it would take immediate and firm actions if “any credible evidence of sabotage or arson is found”.

Large fires are frequent in densely-populated Bangladesh. These are often blamed on poor infrastructure and weak safety enforcement. Hundreds of people have been killed in fires in recent years.

Additional reporting by BBC Bangla.