Published : 19 Oct 2025, 05:30 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 02:36 PM
Several aircraft diverted to Sylhet after a fire broke out on Saturday at the cargo village of Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport, prompting authorities to arrange rail transport to the capital for stranded passengers.
Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Md Sarwar Alam said a Dhaka-bound train from Sylhet on Saturday night carried an additional carriage reserved for air passengers.
“Since there was an incident at the airport in Dhaka, some flights made emergency landings in Sylhet,” he said. “Special arrangements have been made in the Dhaka-bound train for passengers of these flights who need to travel urgently. An extra compartment has been added. They can come to the platform and collect train tickets.”
According to Osmani International Airport Director Md Hafiz Ahmed, Sylhet has sufficient capacity to accept diversions and passengers have been accommodated in the lounge.
A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, carrying 396 passengers, landed at Sylhet’s Osmani International Airport at 3:31pm on Saturday.
Later, two US-Bangla flights -- one from Singapore with 153 passengers and another from Malaysia with 75 passengers -- made emergency landings in Sylhet at 6:05pm and 6:15pm, respectively.
“There is sufficient capacity for aircraft to land in Sylhet, and the passengers of the aircraft that have already landed have been accommodated in the lounge,” said Osmani International Airport Director Md Hafiz Ahmed.
No Dhaka-bound flights left Sylhet on Saturday evening because of the fire at Shahjalal, and at least three flights were delayed.
Passengers expressed frustration over the disruption.
Abdus Samad, a resident of South Surma, was scheduled to fly to Dhaka on a US-Bangla flight at 4:30pm.
“I was supposed to fly from Dhaka to South Korea at night,” he said. “Due to the fire, I will miss that flight. I will have to face a lot of trouble.”
Fire Service Media Officer Talha Bin Jashim said the department received reports of the fire around 2:15pm on Saturday.
The blaze broke out near Gate No. 8 of the airport, and 36 units were deployed to bring it under control.
The fire service said the flames were contained after seven hours.
