Aviation minister orders 24/7 cargo clearance at Dhaka Airport

Dhaka: Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam has instructed all agencies involved in import cargo handling at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to operate around the clock, seven days a week, to reduce cargo congestion, particularly during weekends.

The directive came during a meeting on import cargo management held at the headquarters of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) on June 7.

CAAB Member (Operations and Planning) Air Commodore Abu Sayeed Mehboob Khan told media that the recent fire at the airport's cargo area was discussed at the meeting, although the incident was relatively minor.

"The main objective was to prevent the buildup of cargo at the airport and minimize the risks associated with goods remaining in storage for prolonged periods," he said.

According to him, import cargo often remains uncleared on Fridays and Saturdays, causing unnecessary congestion at the Cargo Village.

"To avoid such backlogs, the minister directed all relevant agencies to maintain 24/7 cargo clearance operations with adequate staffing at all times. This will help prevent the accumulation of goods and improve overall safety," Mehboob Khan added.

Representatives of exporters, importers, and freight forwarders also attended the meeting.

Mehboob Khan also said the five-member committee formed to investigate the fire on the night of June 5 has been asked to submit its findings within seven working days and is expected to do so by June 16.

The latest fire broke out at a warehouse operated by courier company DHL inside the airport's Cargo Village, where goods kept for auction caught fire.

The incident comes less than a year after a major blaze on October 18 last year destroyed goods worth an estimated billion taka at the same Cargo Village. Officials involved in that investigation had also traced the origin of the fire to a DHL facility.

Following the recent incident, several intelligence agencies questioned five officials of the courier company as part of the ongoing investigation.

The meeting was attended by State Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat, Secretary Fahmida Khatun, CAAB Chairman Mostafa Mahmood Siddiq, and other senior officials.