Dhaka, Oct. 18 -- A catastrophic fire ripped through the imported goods section of the cargo village at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday afternoon, causing extensive damage worth millions and forcing the suspension of flight operations at the country's busiest airport.

The blaze, which broke out around 2:30 pm, engulfed multiple adjoining warehouses storing fabrics, chemicals, machinery, and garment accessories. By 7pm, 37 firefighting units from 13 fire stations were still battling the inferno, the smoke from which became visible from miles away. The Fire Service is being aided by Army, Navy, Police, Ansar and BGB personnel.

Speaking at the scene, Sultan Ahmed, Director of Tamim Express Ltd., said his company had just...