By Ruma Paul and Harshita Meenaktshi

A passenger plane sits on the tarmac, as smoke rises from a fire, which broke out in the cargo bay of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 18, 2025. REUTERS/Mehedi Hasan Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

Oct 18 (Reuters) – Flights have resumed at Bangladesh’s main airport in Dhaka, airport officials said, six hours after a fire in the cargo section delayed flights and halted operations on Saturday.

The first flight departed at 9.06 p.m. (1506 GMT), officials told reporters.

The fire has been completely brought under control, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism said in a statement.

“Steps will be taken to identify the source of the fire and implement measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” the ministry added.

Operations at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport were suspended after the fire broke out in the cargo section of the airport, with around 37 firefighting units working to douse the flames.

The army, navy, and air force also joined the fire service in efforts to bring the blaze under control.

Kabir Ahmed, president of the International Air Express Association of Bangladesh, said it was too early to estimate the exact losses, but that the overall impact – direct and indirect – on imports and exports could exceed $1 billion.

Both domestic and international flights were affected.

An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Dhaka was diverted to Kolkata, and an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates was directed to Chittagong, about 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Dhaka.

This is the third major fire reported in Bangladesh this week. A fire on Tuesday at a garment factory and an adjacent chemical warehouse in Dhaka killed at least 16 people and injured others. On Thursday, another fire burned down a seven-storey garment factory building in an export processing zone in Chittagong.

The interim government said all recent fires across the country are under thorough investigation, with security forces working to protect lives and property.

It said any evidence of sabotage or arson would be met with a swift and decisive response and that no criminal act or provocation would be allowed to disrupt public life or the political process.

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