Civil Aviation and Tourism Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin said on Saturday that the massive fire that broke out at the Cargo Village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka has been brought under control, and authorities are working to resume all suspended flight operations by tonight.

A press release from Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, signed by Public Relations Officer Tariqul Islam, confirmed the development, stating, "the blaze was fully contained"

Speaking to reporters after visiting the site on Saturday evening, the adviser said, “The fire has been contained, though not completely extinguished. Our top priority now is to restore airport operations as quickly as possible, assess the damage, and form a committee to identify the cause of the incident.”

Bashir Uddin added that the blaze was confined to the import cargo section, while export cargo facilities remained safe. “Some members of the Fire Service were injured while dousing the flames, and they are receiving medical treatment,” he said.

According to a statement from the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry, signed by Public Relations Officer Tariqul Islam, the fire erupted around 2:15 PM at the airport’s Cargo Village. Thanks to “rapid and coordinated efforts by the Fire Service and airport authorities, the blaze was fully contained” and no casualties were reported.

“The fire has been completely extinguished in close coordination with all relevant agencies. All flight operations are expected to resume from 9:00 PM tonight,” the statement said.

The ministry confirmed that Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin is personally supervising the situation from the airport, ensuring coordination among all relevant agencies. An investigation committee is being formed to determine the cause of the fire and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Meanwhile, the disruption at HSIA caused significant travel chaos across the country. Several inbound and outbound flights were diverted to Chattogram, Sylhet, and Kolkata as operations in Dhaka came to a halt.

At Chattogram’s Shah Amanat International Airport, hundreds of passengers—many of them migrant workers bound for the Middle East—were seen waiting in terminal areas and sitting beside luggage trolleys. Airport authorities said at least eight flights—four domestic and four international—were diverted to Chattogram due to the fire.

Two flights bound for Dubai and Sharjah remained grounded, while several others awaiting takeoff in Dhaka were stranded on taxiways.

Nasir Uddin Raihan, a passenger on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight to Abu Dhabi from Chattogram, said, “Just five minutes after boarding, we were informed about a fire at Dhaka airport. Passengers were immediately asked to disembark.”

As of the latest update, 37 units of the Fire Service, assisted by the Civil Aviation Authority, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), were engaged in operations to fully extinguish any remaining flames and ensure safety at the site.