An eight-member expert team from Turkey has arrived in Dhaka to assist in investigating the recent fire at the import cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, officials said on Sunday.
The delegation met with Civil Aviation and Tourism and Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin on Sunday morning, according to a press release from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. The meeting was attended by Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Ramis Sen and led by First Degree Chief Superintendent Oykun Ilgun, who heads the Turkish expert team.
During the meeting, officials discussed the ongoing investigation into the fire and potential areas of technical collaboration. The Turkish delegation assured Bangladesh of full technical and institutional support in determining the cause of the incident and preventing future occurrences.
“This cooperation will further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and play an important role in advancing the investigation process,” Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin said following the meeting.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Nasreen Jahan and Additional Secretary Humaira Sultana were also present.
The fire broke out at the import cargo complex of Shahjalal Airport on October 18, disrupting operations before being brought under control later that day. While flight activities resumed the same evening, firefighters needed about 27 hours to fully extinguish the flames.
According to the Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB), the blaze may have caused damages estimated at around Tk12,000 crore.
On Saturday, Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury visited the site and announced that experts from the United Kingdom, Australia, China, and Turkey would be involved in determining whether any mismanagement or negligence contributed to the incident and identifying those responsible.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
