Dhaka airport fire: a direct hit to the logistical heart of the textile industry

On Saturday, October 18, 2025, a major fire broke out in the cargo village at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Hazrat Shahjalal International AirportInternational Airport in Dhaka. This complex is the country's main air logistics hub and a critical node for the global textile trade.

For more than six hours, all air operations were suspended while more than 30 units of firefighters and emergency forces worked to control the flames. Material losses could exceed billion dollars, affecting both essential exports and imports.affecting both exports and essential imports.

Bangladesh is the world's second largest garment exporter in the worldand more than 80% of its international shipments are textiles. The affected area of the airport stored fabrics, export-ready garments, samples and chemical materials used in garment manufacturing.

The fire comes at the height of the export season (October-December), which aggravates the effects.which aggravates the effects. Delays in shipments and loss of samples threaten contracts with international buyers, affecting thousands of factories and millions of workers in the sector.

"Loss of samples can mean losing future orders," explained a spokesperson for the BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association).

Events like this reveal how dependent the world economy is on concentrated logistics nodes. When one key facility fails, the effects ripple throughout the chain.

In the case of Dhaka:

• Hundreds of cargo flights were grounded.
• Insurers and logistics operators face massive claims and delays.
• Global brands assess their exposure to infrastructure risks in supplier countries.

Logistics resilience is no longer a technical issue but a strategic competitive advantage. strategic competitive advantage.

For companies involved in foreign trade - whether importing inputs or exporting products - the key is to anticipate and mitigate the impact of disruptions such as the one in Dhaka.

At Hanseaticawe accompany our customers with integral solutions for International Cargo Insurance, Coverage for Containers, and Liability Insurance for Logistics Operators., designed to protect their operations against unexpected events such as fire, cargo loss or route interruption.

Because on the new map of global trade, securing the route is securing growth.

Find out how our coverages can help you to protect your global supply chain. Schedule a meeting with our specialists or find out more about our Snsurance solutions Carga and Logistics International.
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