Pharmaceutical Raw Materials Worth Tk 2 Billion Destroyed

Pharmaceutical raw materials valued at at least Tk 2 billion have been destroyed in a fire at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) has confirmed.

BAPI Secretary General Md Zakir Hossain stated that Bangladesh has 307 pharmaceutical companies, of which 250 remain operational. He further revealed that as of 11:00 am on Monday, the top 32 pharmaceutical companies reported their raw materials worth more than Tk 2 billion were lost in the fire.

The disclosure was made at a press conference held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, organised by the Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB). EAB President Mohammad Hatem read a written statement regarding the incident.

Responding to queries about the consequences of the fire, Zakir Hossain explained:

• Each medicine requires 10–12 to 53 ingredients for production.
• The destruction of raw materials worth Tk 2 billion could disrupt the production of medicines valued at Tk 30–50 billion.
• He reassured that the supply chain will not be affected immediately, though concerns remain for the medium-term impact.

During the fire on Saturday, several aircraft were diverted to Chattogram Airport. Zakir Hossain raised concerns about whether the raw materials on those planes remained intact, as temperature-controlled storage, essential for preserving pharmaceutical products, is not available at the diversion airport.

Economic Losses and Safety Concerns

Mohammad Hatem highlighted that the fire caused direct and indirect losses amounting to Tk 120 billion. He criticised authorities for extreme negligence in ensuring fire detection and prevention at such a critical facility.