The Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam has directed all agencies engaged in import cargo handling at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) to maintain uninterrupted operations throughout the week. The move aims to reduce congestion and prevent the accumulation of cargo backlogs at the airport.
The instruction was issued during a meeting on import cargo management held on June 7 at the headquarters of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
CAAB Member (Operations and Planning) Air Commodore Abu Sayeed Mehboob Khan said the meeting mainly focused on preventing cargo buildup at the airport and minimizing risks linked to prolonged storage of goods.
He noted that cargo often remains uncleared on Fridays and Saturdays, leading to unnecessary accumulation at the Cargo Village.
“To resolve this issue, the minister has instructed all relevant agencies to ensure round-the-clock cargo clearance services seven days a week, with sufficient manpower deployed at all times,” he said. “This will help ease congestion and reduce safety risks.”
The meeting also reviewed Friday night’s fire incident at a warehouse operated by courier company DHL within the Cargo Village. Officials confirmed that the fire was minor and was quickly brought under control.
CAAB has formed a five-member investigation committee to probe the incident and submit its report within seven working days, with findings expected by June 16, according to Mehboob Khan.
Officials said the latest fire broke out at a warehouse storing auction-bound goods. This incident comes less than a year after a major fire on October 18 last year that destroyed goods in the same Cargo Village, which also reportedly originated from a DHL-operated facility.
Following Friday’s fire, intelligence agencies questioned five DHL officials as part of the ongoing investigation.
Mehboob Khan added that the government had already issued directives based on the findings of last year’s probe, and implementation is underway. However, Sunday’s meeting did not specifically review the progress of those measures.
Representatives from exporters, importers, and freight forwarders were also present at the meeting.