Export apparel making is affected as samples and ingredients remain stuck in piles of courier-borne goods undelivered since a blaze burnt down Dhaka airport's cargo section, sources say.
An estimated 500 tonnes of courier-related goods remained stranded on the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) premises after the fire tore through the airport's import-cargo village on October 18, extensively damaging storage facilities there.
A large volume of courier shipments that arrived after the blaze has since accumulated inside the airport, compounding logistical bottlenecks and creating mounting operational challenges for service providers.
People familiar with the situation told The Financial Express that the disruption is expected to hit the country's export-oriented manufacturing sector, particularly the readymade garment (RMG) industry - a key user of courier services for the delivery of product samples, design materials and critical documents.
Every day, a few cargo aircraft carry around 50 tonnes of courier-borne goods into the country through the HSIA.
However, all such consignments have remained undelivered after resumption of aircraft services, creating severe problems to consignees-especially garment manufacturers awaiting samples and vital documents from buyers abroad.
While export-cargo operations have largely remained functional and non-courier imported goods are being delivered, the courier section remains inaccessible, according to some courier companies' executives.
"We have not been able to access the areas where courier goods have been kept since October 19, leaving around 500 tonnes of shipments stuck so far," says Munim Mahfuz Ryan, Managing Director of Bombino Express Services Ltd.
He also says that courier-service operators have met with the relevant government agencies but no avail of solution yet.
"These shipments are critical for consignees, particularly garment factories that require samples to proceed with clothing production," he notes.
Meanwhile, a Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) official told the FE that efforts were ongoing to normalise services after severe damage to both infrastructure and goods in the fire.
"We hope that within the next couple of days, courier services will be able to handle their goods again," the official said, adding that infrastructure rebuilding, safety checks, and revised operational protocols are necessary before full resumption.
"We also met with all key stakeholders on Monday," he said, wishing anonymity.
Following the October 18, 2025 blaze, continuous meetings have been held with senior officials from Bangladesh Customs to find an urgent solution.
The Customs Commissioner has instructed his team to work round the clock to ease the crisis.
During these discussions, courier operators proposed retrieving all goods within an hour-subject to a temporary revision of standard operating procedures (SOPs) typically followed under normal conditions.
"We approached the CAAB Chairman regarding the use of the previously designated shed for courier operations," said a courier- service official.
"However, he emphasised that safety protocols cannot be compromised as the shed is no longer usable due to fire damage."
Courier shipments typically arrive in consolidated form and must undergo sorting and clearance under Bangladesh Customs procedures.
Despite repeated requests at all meetings with government agencies, including the CAAB Chairman, the issue of issuing individual access passes for courier personnel remains unresolved and the goods remained stuck there, according to courier-service providers.
The AKE air-cargo containers --- just a clone of ship containers--used for transporting courier materials need to be unstuffed and vacated promptly to facilitate further shipments both within Bangladesh and abroad.
jasimharoon@yahoo.com
© 2025 - All Rights with The Financial Express
