In response to the disruption caused by the recent fire at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, all charges and fees for non-scheduled additional flights will be waived for the next three days, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin announced on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the airport’s fire-damaged Cargo Village, the adviser said 21 flights were either cancelled or diverted on Saturday due to the massive blaze.

“To ease the suffering of passengers; particularly those traveling for overseas employment, medical needs or family emergencies, we began providing assistance from Saturday night,” he said.

Flight operations resumed at 9:00 PM on Saturday and have continued without interruption since, he confirmed.

Expressing regret over the inconvenience faced by passengers, Sheikh Bashir Uddin said, “We arranged hotel accommodations, meals and other essential support. Despite our best efforts, we sincerely apologize for the hardship caused.”

On the extent of the damage, the adviser stated that the assessment is still underway.

“The entire area where imported goods were stored has been completely destroyed. We are now calculating the losses based on the weight and type of goods affected.”

Addressing questions about the firefighting response, he explained that as the airport is a Key Point Installation (KPI), it has its own dedicated firefighting unit, which responded immediately.

“The Fire Service arrived within about 10 minutes. In total, 37 units worked together to control the blaze, with WASA assisting in water supply,” he added.

The adviser assured that all relevant investigative and intelligence agencies would jointly probe the cause of the fire.

“Due to the intensity of the blaze, it wasn’t possible to remove goods during the operation. However, all aspects will be thoroughly examined,” he said.

Cargo operations have since resumed and commercial activities will now continue around the clock, seven days a week.

He also mentioned that a review of the insurance coverage for affected stakeholders is currently in progress.