The country’s information technology and hardware sectors have incurred substantial losses following the devastating fire at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. According to the Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), a huge quantity of imported tech products belonging to its member companies was consumed by the blaze.
The BCS, the national association for the ICT sector, announced in a statement today (Wednesday) that while initial estimates place the financial loss at approximately 350 million Bangladeshi Taka (approx. $35 million USD), the actual damage could be far greater.
The Scale of the Destruction
Following the fire on October 18, the BCS requested its member institutions to submit details of their losses to determine the true extent of the damage, providing an online form for data collection. Based on the information received so far, the preliminary loss has been pegged at 350 million Taka.
Among the major companies affected are Smart Technologies (Bangladesh) Limited, Datatech Computer, Newtech Technology, Dihan Enterprise, and Reeve Systems.
An Industry-Wide Shock
Regarding the incident, BCS President Mohammad Zahirul Islam commented, “The full extent of the damage incurred by our member institutions is not yet completely clear. We are still gathering detailed information from our members. While the initial estimate stands at around 350 million Taka, the actual damage could certainly exceed this.”
Mr. Islam emphasized that the accident is not just a personal loss for the members but a significant setback for the entire ICT sector. “This fire has severely disrupted the country’s technology supply chain,” he stated. “Imported products had already reached the country and were destroyed here, resulting in a large financial loss. Coordinated action by the relevant authorities is urgently needed to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
The fire broke out at the Cargo Village Complex building of Shahjalal Airport around 2:30 PM on October 18. It took nearly six and a half hours for the fire to be brought under control. Separately, the Bangladesh International Air Express Association estimates the total damage from the airport fire could exceed $100 million USD.
