United News of Bangladesh

BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Amanullah Aman on Tuesday alleged that Sheikh Hasina was the ‘mastermind’ behind the recent fire incident at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, calling it an act of sabotage. “Fascist Sheikh Hasina is conspiring from a neighbouring country to destabilise Bangladesh and foil the upcoming election. She is carrying out these conspiracies through her associates inside the country,” he said. Speaking at a memorial meeting, the BNP leader also urged the government and people to stay alert to prevent any further subversive acts by the fascist forces. “We have been witnessing incidents of sabotage in different areas — these are the acts of the fallen fascists. Why are there fires in various places, including the airport? The mastermind behind these acts of sabotage is Sheikh Hasina,” he claimed. The BNP leader called upon the interim government to take immediate action against Sheikh Hasina and her cohorts and bring them to justice. Saifuddin Ahmed Moni Smriti Sangsad organised the programme at the Jatiya Press Club, marking the second death anniversary of Democratic League’s General Secretary Saifuddin Ahmed Moni. Aman, also a former VP of DUCSU, alleged that a vested quarter is plotting to disrupt the upcoming election in the name of introducing a proportional representation (PR) voting system. Fire at Shahjalal Airport cargo village fully doused after 27 hours “The national election will be held in February. Those who joined the anti-fascist movement must stay united, as any division among them will only benefit the fascists. Some parties are trying to foil the election in the name of the PR system, while others are conspiring in different ways,” he observed. The BNP leader urged democratic forces to remain vigilant against such evil attempts. He called upon the few political parties that have taken to the streets with PR and other demands to step back for the sake of restoring democracy through united efforts. “All political parties that took part in the anti-fascist movement must now take a fresh pledge to ensure that the killer Sheikh Hasina is brought to justice,” the BNP leader said. He also said the activities of the ‘terrorist political party Awami League’ have already been banned and that the ban should remain in place. Aman expressed confidence that the election would be held in February next year as announced by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. Fire at Shahjalal Airport destroys garment raw materials, business samples: BGMEA “No one will be able to stop this election. If anyone tries to, the people will resist them. We vow that we will hold the national election together, the people will cast their votes without fear, and form a government of their choice to build a welfare-oriented state,” he said.

All charges and fees will be waved for non-scheduled additional flights for the next three days to ease passengers’ suffering after the fire incident at Dhaka airport, said Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin on Sunday. “A total of 21 flights were either diverted or cancelled on Saturday following the massive fire at the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport,” he told reporters after inspecting the post-fire situation at the airport He said efforts began on Saturday night to assist passengers whose travel abroad was disrupted, particularly those traveling for jobs, medical treatment, or family emergencies. “Flight operations resumed at 9 pm last night and have been running uninterrupted since then,” he added. Expressing regret over passenger inconvenience, Sheikh Bashir Uddin said, “We arranged hotel accommodation, food, and other necessary support for affected passengers. Despite our efforts, we sincerely apologize for the hardship they faced.” Smoke still billowing from cargo village at Shahjalal Airport 23 hours after fire Regarding losses, he said, “Our damage assessment is ongoing. The area where imported goods were stored has been completely damaged. We are assessing the total loss by weight and sector.” Addressing concerns about the delay in firefighting, the adviser said, “As the airport is a KPI area it has its own firefighting unit which responded immediately upon receiving the alert. The Fire Service units arrived within about 10 minutes. In total, 37 units worked to bring the blaze under control with WASA assisting in water supply.” He added that all relevant investigation and intelligence agencies will work together to uncover the cause of the fire. “During the firefighting, it was not possible to remove the goods, but every aspect will be taken into account during the inquiry,” he said. Exporters scramble to assess losses after airport fire The adviser also said cargo operations have resumed, and commercial activities will continue round the clock seven days a week. “We are also reviewing the insurance coverage of the affected parties,” he added.

Exporter associations have begun the process of assessing damages caused by the fire at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). The organisations have directed their member companies to prepare detailed lists of their damaged goods in a prescribed format. According to association officials, a clearer estimate of the total volume of affected goods and the extent of financial losses is expected within the next one to two days. A delegation from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will visit the airport’s cargo village today (Sunday) to identify and evaluate the damages. Masud Karim, Chairman of the BGMEA Public Relations Committee, told UNB that a BGMEA team will visit the site at noon. Gusty weather hinders firefighting efforts: Fire Service DG Meanwhile, exporters are expressing increasing concerns over the uncertainty surrounding the resumption of operations at the cargo village. Business leaders have said that any prolonged suspension of airport activities will have a serious impact not only on passenger transport but also on the country’s crucial export sector. Key export items transported by air from Bangladesh include ready-made garments (RMG), perishable goods such as vegetables, fruits and betel leaves, along with various other products and important documents handled by international courier services. Businesses in these sectors are considered most at risk. BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said, “We do not have any specific information at this moment about the quantity of goods damaged. If it reopens quickly, the losses will be less. If it remains closed for a longer period, the losses will be greater." S M Jahangir Hossain, President of the Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters’ Association (BFVAPEA), said, “Our shipments to various destinations depend on the availability of space on the aircraft. Fire at Shahjalal Airport's cargo village brought under control after 7 hours “So, on days when we get more space, we can send more goods. We are currently investigating how much products our members had there today,” he added.