A major fire broke out in the cargo area of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday afternoon, forcing the suspension of all flight operations and triggering a large-scale emergency response.

The blaze was first reported around 2:15pm, according to Kawser Mahmud, spokesperson for both Biman Bangladesh Airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).

Firefighting units from the airport, along with the Bangladesh Army, Air Force, Navy, and other relevant agencies launched a coordinated effort to contain the fire.

Mahmud urged the public to remain calm and vigilant, assuring that a detailed report would be shared once the situation was under control.

Talha bin Jasim of the Fire Service Headquarters said they received the alert at approximately 2:30pm.

A total of 25 fire service units have been deployed to the site, with additional support from the Bangladesh Navy.

Authorities relocated aircraft in hangars as a precautionary measure to prevent potential damage, while the fire continued to burn in the cargo village area.

Flight operations at the airport were suspended, forcing several inbound and outbound flights to divert or delay.

Batik Air flight OD-163 from Dhaka to Kuala Lumpur and Indigo flight 6E-1116 from Dhaka to Mumbai are currently waiting on the taxiway. US-Bangla Airlines flight from Bangkok and Air Arabia flight from Sharjah have landed in Chittagong.

Indigo’s flight from Delhi was diverted to Kolkata, while Cathay Pacific’s flight from Hong Kong circled in the air, unable to land.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Saidpur and a US-Bangla Airlines flight from Chittagong diverted back to Chittagong.

Emergency teams remain on site, closely monitoring the fire and continuing efforts to bring the situation fully under control. Authorities are working to restore normal operations as soon as conditions permit.