Shahjalal Airport fire caused by short circuit, not sabotage: Press Secretary

The fire at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka was caused by an electrical short circuit, not sabotage, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has stated.

He made the comment during a briefing at the Foreign Service Academy auditorium in the capital on Tuesday, November 25.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Chief Adviser received the investigation report on the fire at the airport’s cargo terminal.

The Press Secretary said a massive fire broke out on October 18 in the import cargo complex. The investigation found that the 48 small iron-cage offices inside the courier shed had no fire alarms, smoke detectors or sprinklers. There was no fire hydrant either.

He added that no safety protocols were followed. Flammable items including fabric rolls wrapped in polythene, chemicals, compressed perfume and body spray bottles, electronic devices, batteries and medicines had been stored in piles. The report incorporated oral and written statements from 97 witnesses.

Shafiqul Alam said the fire originated in several courier cages adjacent to the north-western corner of the extended portion of the courier shed and was caused by electrical arcing and a short circuit.

He further stated that expert teams from Turkey, BUET specialists, fire safety experts and the CID Forensics Unit all confirmed the cause of the fire in their respective reports.