We fear goods of 250 factories may be destroyed: BGMEA President
Exporter organisations are assessing the losses after the fire in the cargo village at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. They have already sent letters asking their members to submit itemised lists of damaged products in prescribed formats. The exact volume of goods in the cargo village will be known within a day or two, they say. Meanwhile, uncertainty remains about how long the airport will remain closed.
Businessmen warn that if the airport remains shut for a prolonged period, both passengers and exporters will face losses. Bangladesh typically exports ready‑made garments, perishable goods such as vegetables, fruits, and aquatic products. In addition, international courier services handle goods and various documents. In such cases, these exporters will be most adversely affected.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Mahmud Hasan Khan said: “We have no data yet on the exact extent of damaged goods. But normally our member factories export on average every day. Roughly 200‑250 factories ship goods daily by air. So I fear that this many factories may be affected.” Khan added, “Even if the airport reopens soon, exporters will suffer losses. If it stays closed longer, the damage will be greater.”
Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables & Allied Product Exporters’ Association (BFVAPEA) President S M Jahangir Hossain said: “We always have many items in the pipeline; it is not that we had nothing today. We send goods depending on available aircraft capacity, so when space is available we send more. Today we are checking how much our members had in the pipeline.” Jahangir Hossain added: “Because these are perishable goods, we want air operations to resume quickly so that the goods in the export pipeline do not spoil.”
