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Published : 22 Oct 2025, 05:27 PM
The Dhaka Custom House will keep customs clearance operations open round-the-clock on Friday and Saturday to manage the fallout from the recent blaze at the Cargo Village of Shahjalal International Airport.
An order issued on Wednesday directed all staff members to remain on duty.
Earlier, on Tuesday, three separate directives were issued to ensure uninterrupted 24-hour customs operations.
The orders divided working hours and responsibilities among revenue officials, including deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners, under the supervision of joint commissioners.
According to Wednesday’s office order, customs offices under the airport’s Airfreight and Express Service units will remain open on Friday and Saturday to maintain the flow of imports, exports, and trade during the post-disaster period.
An earlier order stated that officials at the assistant commissioner and deputy commissioner levels would work in three shifts -- morning, day, and night.
The directive also said that a sufficient number of revenue officers, assistant revenue officers, sub-inspectors, and constables would be deployed to ensure smooth customs operations.
Before this, on Monday, apex trade bodies and associations representing key industries, including BKMEA, BGMEA, BTMA, and BPGMEA, jointly held a media briefing.
According to the associations’ initial estimate, the fire on Oct 18 may have caused losses amounting to Tk 12 billion.
Zakir Hossain, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, said raw materials worth Tk 2 billion from the pharmaceutical sector were destroyed in the blaze.
He criticised the decision to suspend customs clearance during the holidays after Thursday evening.
“Customs operations must continue 24 hours a day, even on a limited scale,” Zakir said. “We are ready to pay extra if necessary.”
The fire at the Cargo Village broke around noon and was brought under control seven hours later by 37 units of the Fire Service. The blaze was fully extinguished after 27 hours.
In the wake of the incident, both the Internal Resources Division and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism have formed separate investigation committees.
