Dhaka, Oct. 20 -- The devastating blaze at Shahjalal International Airport's Cargo Village in Dhaka may cause financial losses many times greater than the value of the goods actually destroyed, according to exporters.

Among the burned consignments was a shipment of lace worth only $500 belonging to apparel exporter Fazle Shamim Ehsan of Fatullah Apparels. But his eventual losses, he says, will exceed $16,000 once replacement costs, freight charges, and order penalties are factored in.

"I only had $500 worth of lace in the cargo village," Ehsan said. "But those laces were meant for 15,000 T-shirts worth around $105,000 in total. Now I'll have to bring them again from abroad.

"If I fly them in to meet the deadline, it'll cost me $15,000-...