Export apparel production is being impacted since samples and ingredients are still stuck in stacks of courier-borne goods that have not yet been delivered after a fire devastated the Dhaka airport’s cargo facility.
After the fire tore through the airport’s import-cargo hamlet on 18th October and severely damaged storage facilities there, an estimated 500 tonnes of courier-related goods were stuck on the grounds of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).
Since then, a significant number of courier shipments that came following the fire have gathered inside the airport, exacerbating logistical bottlenecks and posing increasing operational difficulties for service providers.
The disruption is anticipated to affect the nation’s export-oriented manufacturing sector, especially the readymade garment (RMG) industry, which is a major user of courier services for the delivery of product samples, design materials and important documents, according to people familiar with the situation.
Through the HSIA, a few cargo planes transport about 50 tonnes of courier-borne cargo into the nation each day.
However, since airplane flights have resumed, none of these shipments have been delivered, which has caused serious issues for consignees, particularly clothing makers who are waiting for samples and important paperwork from overseas purchasers.
According to some courier companies’ executives, while export-cargo operations have largely remained functional and non-courier imported goods are being delivered, the courier section remains inaccessible.
In the meantime, an official from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) informed that efforts are underway to restore services following significant damage to commodities and equipment caused by the fire.
He even added that infrastructure rebuilding, safety checks and revised operational protocols are necessary before full reopening.
Senior representatives from Bangladesh Customs have been meeting continuously since the 18th October 2025 fire in an effort to find a quick fix.
Couriers suggested retrieving all items within an hour during these talks, provided that standard operating procedures (SOPs) that are normally followed were temporarily revised. Usually arriving in aggregated form, courier goods need to be sorted and cleared by Bangladeshi Customs.
According to courier-service providers, the problem of providing individual access passes for courier staff has not been resolved despite repeated demands at all meetings with government officials, including the CAAB Chairman and the items have remained detained there.
To enable more shipments both within Bangladesh and overseas, the AKE air-cargo containers—which are merely replicas of ship containers—used to deliver courier items, must be quickly unstuffed and evacuated.
