Dhaka, Oct 19 (V7N) — It took nearly seven and a half hours to bring a massive fire under control at the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital. By the time firefighters managed to douse the flames, most of the imported goods stored inside had been reduced to ashes.

The incident has sparked serious questions about fire management and preparedness in one of the country’s most sensitive facilities.

Former Fire Service Directors General have expressed concern over the prolonged operation, calling it a sign of mismanagement, negligence, and lack of preparedness.

Brigadier General (Retd.) Ali Ahmed Khan, former DG of the Fire Service, said the delay indicated serious administrative failure.

 “This happened due to mismanagement and negligence. Such incidents have occurred before, but no lessons were learned. If the fire was deliberately started, then there is negligence on the part of the investigators as well,” he said.

Echoing similar concerns, another former DG, Brigadier General (Retd.) Abu Naeem Mohammad Shahidullah, said the lack of technical skills among firefighters and the absence of proper fire protection systems in critical infrastructures were to blame.

 “Our firefighters lack advanced skills. Every structure must have fire safety measures; otherwise, clearance should not be granted,” he emphasized.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation and Tourism Advisor Bashir Uddin assured that authorities will assess the extent of damage and investigate the cause of the fire.

“The cause of the incident will be determined, and the losses will be properly evaluated,” he said.

The fire at the airport’s cargo complex has once again highlighted vulnerabilities in fire safety protocols at high-security installations across Bangladesh.